Leo's Logbook
by Ardoa88
Summary: Leo had a job to do before they could go to Camp Jupiter. A big job. Unfortunately, building the Argo II from scratch wasn't as easy at the Son of Hephaestus made it sound. These are some of his logbook entries. (OR: A series of one-shots based around the building of the Argo II. Mostly featuring Leo and the other members of Cabin Nine.)
1. Entry 1: Breaker Breaker

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Surprise! A new story!**_

 _ **Yes, so as I progress through the Aviation Maintenance Technician course at my college, I am always thinking about ways to incorporate the technical terms into my stories (in order to make them as accurate as ficticiously possible). Sadly, Leo is one of the few POV's that allows me to write that way, and he's not as prominent in my other story 'When Worlds Collide'.**_

 _ **The answer? Write occasional one-shots featuring the building of the Argo II based on real-life aviation concepts and terminology!**_

 ** _Enjoy!_**

 ** _-Ardoa88_**

 ** _Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, sadly... and the cover image is not mine either (I bow down in reverence to artists who are so talented)._**

* * *

 **Entry #1: Breaker Breaker**

"They're ready to test the system."

Leo glanced up from his work to see Jake Mason's head of shaggy blond hair poking around the corner of the doorway. Despite the grease and epoxy that stained the former head counselors clothes, Jake was grinning excitedly. He waved his hand in a 'come here' motion. "Everyone's waiting for you to start 'er up."

Leo rolled his eyes. "It's not like they _need_ me there to do an ops check." But nevertheless, the Son of Hephaestus stood, stretching out his cramped muscles. Sitting hunched over a desk for the better part of five hours was certainly doing nothing to help his posture.

Jake huffed out a laugh, leaning against the doorframe. "'Course not. You're just the guy who drew out all of the schematics _and_ wiring diagrams _and_ designed the connectors to be idiot-proof. Why on _earth_ would they think you'd want to be there for the first official test run?"

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Mason." Leo retorted, sticking out his tongue at his older half-brother. But despite his outward guise, Leo's heart warmed at the words and he smiled. The other demigod reciprocated the expression, slinging an arm around the smaller hispanic as they walked out into the workshop.

Bunker Nine was a mess: and that was putting it kindly. Sheets of Celestial Bronze, all in various stages of assembly, were scattered around the workshop. Toolboxes and rolling workstations piled with papers, mounting hardware, and system components had been clustered in corners and along the edge of the walls. Dominating the cramped space was the Argo II. Or, at least, the bare bones of what would soon be the ship of Leo's dreams. The ribs of the keel curved upwards like the remains of a decaying animal in the Sahara, one of it's two masts supported by an overhead crane while it was being attached at the base. Work platforms flanked the bow of the ship, where a small group of equally sweaty demigods cluttered around a control board lashed to the railing with duct tape.

As Leo and Jake made their way up the ladder, one of the smaller demigods spotted them, waving his hand in greeting as they approached. The moving appendage caught the attention of the others and as one, their heads swiveled to stare at the newcomers.

Leo grinned at his half-siblings, spreading his hands and saying in a loud voice, "The fu-un has arri-ived!"

Half of them laughed. The other half groaned.

Still smiling, Leo rubbed his hands together, letting his eyes rove over the control console. It too, was a haphazard mess of parts; having been thrown together with whatever they'd had on hand. The Son of Hephaestus ran his hand along the keyboard keys, fingertips catching on some of the missing letters. An X-box controller lay flush with the headboard and an old red Gameboy Advance was welded to the upper right corner. It was beautiful.

"Who's ready to give it a whirl?" Leo asked, looking up at his fellow demigods. There were cries of 'Me!' and general cheers of encouragement. "Well… here goes nothing!" And with an over dramatic flourish, he flipped the Gameboy power switch to 'ON'.

There was a low whirr as the electrical system came to life, the lights on the control board flickering into existence. Leo looked around, seeing the navigation system boot up while the oars twitched in their sockets. After a long moment of nothing sparking or exploding, the children of Hephaestus released a simultaneous sigh of relief.

Pride swelled in Leo's chest, but he forced it back for the moment. "Good job, guys! You can run wires from the bus bar to the console. Now let's see if you correctly connected them to the components."

Turning back to the controls, he swiveled the X-Box joystick, watching the stabilizers rise and fall in the proper sequence. Next he rolled the trackball mouse left and right, looking over his shoulders to see the rudder respond in kind. A couple of the demigods high fived. After running a few more tests, Leo couldn't hold back his grin any longer. He wanted to kiss each and every one of his half-siblings. Encouraged by the success, he then turned the electric guitar volume knob up to eleven, hearing the engine's alternator respond instantly as he put more power through the system.

 _Pop!_

The cheers cut off. Twenty pairs of eyes snapping down to stare at the numbered key pad; twenty pairs of eyes that saw the number seven had popped up from the keyboard. Leo's smile wavered.

As an added precaution, he'd included a set of circuit breakers that would pop open if too much current was passed between the wires in certain systems. It was a common practice, used to protect the interconnects and loads from overheating and breaking open. The entire right third of the computer keyboard had been designated for that purpose. And one of them had just popped. Heavy groans filled the air as the other demigods came to the same conclusion as Leo: something had just broken.

"Now now," Leo said, making placating motions with his hands, "It might be nothing. Does anyone remember how many times the breakers are allowed to open before we inspect the system?"

There was a beat of silence before the small demigod from earlier piped up. "Once?"

"Bingo!" Leo snapped and pointed finger guns at Harley, the kid beaming at the praise. With swift fingers, he then recentered the circuit breaker, snapping it back into place. A second passed. Then two. After he had counted to ten, Leo turned back to the others. "See? What'd I tell you. Everythings-"

 _Pop! Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop!_

 _Shit_. Leo whirled around. "Jake!"

But the former head counselor was already on it, jumping forwards to slam his hand on the emergency stop. The ship hummed as it shut down, the oars sagging back to the floor with a defeated _thunk_. A heavy air settled over the Children of Hephaestus and Leo cringed as he surveyed the damage. Twelve. Twelve breakers had broken open before Jake managed to cut power to the system.

He heard someone sigh behind him, muttering, "The Curse of Cabin Nine strikes again."

"Nah-ah-ah, none of that now." Leo tsked, folding his arms across his chest as he looked over the dejected expressions of his fellow cabinmates. "There is no ' _curse'_ , there are problems, and there are solutions. And when we run across a problem, what do we do? We fix it."

"But-"

"No 'buts'." Leo continued, barreling over the interruption. "We don't make excuses here. Or did I accidentally walk into the Aires cabin?" There were a few snickers at that, the tension loosening. Leo smirked. "I didn't think so. So _what_ if the system didn't work the first time? Even Edison didn't create the lightbulb on his first try. Now let's troubleshoot the issue, find the problem, and get it working again!"

"Yeah!"

"Hear hear!"

Leo nodded as his half-siblings scampered off, grabbing multimeters off of the tables and crimping tools from the racks. They spread to various sections of the ship, inspecting the wire bundles and testing the conductivity of the wires. Soon it was only Leo and Jake remaining on the bow, the latter placing a hand on the hispanic's shoulder.

"That was a good speech."

"Was that what that was?" Leo asked, cocking an eyebrow at his cabin mate. "It felt a lot like scolding unruly toddlers, to be honest."

"It's practically the same thing." Jake admitted with a light laugh. "But they need to be scolded every now and again."

Leo let out a long breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah... I blame you, by the way. You made this whole 'head counselor' thing look way easier than it is."

"It's a gift." Jake shrugged with a smirk, then frowned when his poor attempt at humor failed to pull a smile from the younger demigod; or even a snide remark. "C'mon, Valdez, give yourself some credit. You took over the mantle in the middle of a war, _and_ are overseeing the largest undertaking by Cabin Nine in the history of Camp Half-Blood."

At that, the hispanics lips quirked upwards. "I am pretty awesome, aren't I?"

"Sure ya are." Jake rolled his eyes fondly. "Just don't let all of that 'awesomeness' go to your head."

"Found it!" The two half-brothers looked down at Harley, the kid brandishing a handful of burned wires. "Looks like one of the wires was too big and shorted out."

Nyssa moved over to the damaged section, cursing as she drew near. "The whole wire bundle needs to be replaced." She informed them with a scowl. "My guess is that the shorted wire caught fire and burned through the shielding on the other ones. The insulation's melted all along the length of the bundle."

"Great!" Leo called down. "Now let's get to work!"

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **If you enjoyed this little story please let me know down in the little comment box below :) I have a few other ideas for one shots that I'll be working on.**_

 _ **I should note that these stories will not be updating along any set schedule. It's just a little side project that I started in order to take a break from pounding my head against the in-conquerable wall that we authors call "writers block" for my other story.**_

 _ **Let me re-emphasize: 'WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE' IS**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **DISCONTINUED!**_

 _ **That story will still be updated as planned :) Never fear!**_

 _ **That's all for today! Have a great day!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	2. Entry 2: A Sticky Situation

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to TellYouTomorrow and percyharry-griffindoor for following this story :)**_

 _ **Enjoy Chapter 2 of Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry #2: A Sticky Situation**

It had been another long day. The second mast had finally been installed, and the composite support beams had gone into the oven earlier that afternoon to cure. The kevlar and honeycomb sandwich structure would be ten times lighter than celestial bronze and nearly as strong. At least, once it was finished curing. Leo dragged his eyes up to the clock on the wall as he fought back another yawn.

1:17. In the morning. Crap- it was already tomorrow.

The others had gone back to the cabin hours ago, the Son of Hephaestus assuring his cabinmates that he would be back before midnight. Oops. Leo's thoughts wandered as he watched the oven timer slowly count down the remaining minute.

Nyssa would scold him again. She always hated when he pulled all-nighters. Jake would remind him of the necessity to sleep, but the former head counselor understood the importance of finishing the ship on time, so maybe he wouldn't be too harsh. The others… Leo doubted they even knew he spent more time sleeping on drafting tables than in his bed. Even when he didn't stay in Bunker Nine overnight, he was usually the first one there in the morning and the last to leave.

The timer went off with a beep, drawing Leo from his musings. It took some convincing before Leo's body unfolded from the comfort of the desk chair, pins and needles shooting down his legs as he forced them to walk over to the oven.

Opening the hot box, Leo reached inside, pulling out the composite rib and maneuvering it over to one of the cleared off work tables. There were seven in total. Seven structural members that would support the main mast. It was kind of ironic when he thought about it. Leo shook his head with a wry grin. Intentional or not, he didn't really care, all he wanted to do was climb into his bunk back in the Hephaestus cabin and sleep until dawn.

Fate, as it so happened, was not on his side.

The seventh rib had warped.

A heavy sigh echoed in the quiet of the bunker as Leo ran a hand down his face. _Di Immortales_ , they couldn't afford a delay like this. His gaze shifted to the schedule posted on the far wall. These ribs needed to be installed before they could even begin to put together the top deck of the ship. Leo glanced at the clock again. 1:27.

He still had time.

Stretching his hands out in front of him, Leo huffed out a breath and got to work. It took time to lay out the materials, cut the laminates, mix the epoxies, and measure out the matrices. Too much time, in his opinion, but he couldn't rush. The measurements had to be exact, the fibers symmetrical. If they weren't, then the material would only warp when he finally put it into the oven. By the time he'd finished constructing the replacement composite, it was nearly 4:45.

The mechanic wiped the back of a gloved hand across his eyes, grinning despite the heaviness in his lids. He'd done it; the part would finish curing by the time the others arrived. They were still on schedule.

The back half of the bunker had become a cluttered mess of laminates and epoxy. But as the demigod moved to start cleaning up, the workshop blurred in his vision. Leo blinked, hard. Okay, so maybe he could take a quick nap first and _then_ clean up. He stumbled over to a work chair, collapsing into it and leaning on the table, pillowing his head in his arms. The cold metal furniture could've been the softest cloud in the sky for all he knew, and Leo felt his eyes dragging closed despite his best efforts.

 _Five minutes_ , he told himself. _I'll just close my eyes for five…_

He was asleep before he finished the thought.

* * *

Leo dreamed he was a rib.

He wasn't the only one who was a rib. In his dream, he saw Piper and Jason, even that crazy scary Athena chick, Annabeth. They were all ribs. He saw shadows- silhouettes- of three other people. Those didn't have any distinct shape, they were more like amorphous blobs, constantly shifting, never remaining solid for long.

They were all ribs. Key structural members holding up Olympus and the gods. Holding up the world.

But one rib was warped. Unstable.

Leo's rib cracked, crumbled away to dust. The other six remained standing, flexing under the added load, but managing to hold strong for a good long while. Then, they too began to crack. The pressure had grown too great, and they crumbled, the laminate fracturing under the weight.

Olympus fell.

* * *

A steady beeping roused Leo from his slumber.

Blinking tired eyes, the demigod went to rub away the sleep but stopped with a wince and a hiss as he felt a painful tug on his hair. Something wasn't right. His hand felt… sticky. No- sticky wasn't the right word. More… tacky. Like a thick paste was coating his fingers.

That's when Leo saw the overturned cup.

 _Mierda_ , that wasn't good. He had to find a way to fix this before the others arrived.

Naturally, it was at that exact moment that the bunker door slammed open.

"I swear to Zeus if he pulled another all nighter, I'm gonna-" Nyssa's voice, which had been steadily growing louder as the girl stomped towards the back of the room, cut off abruptly as she came around the bend.

And, oh look, Jake was with her. Leo bit back a groan; this day just kept getting better. Both demigods had pulled up short, staring at Leo with blank expressions. Plastering a smile on his face, Leo waved at them.

Or, rather, he did his best to wave at them while his right hand was effectively glued to the top of his head.

"Mornin'!"

"H-How-" Nyssa stuttered while Jake doubled over with laughter. "What on _earth_ did you do this time?"

"I, uh," Leo glanced down at the culprit of his current predicament. "Kinda spilled a cup of epoxy on my hand while I was sleeping…"

Nyssa raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Oh, for the love of- stop laughing, Mason, it's not _that_ funny." She snapped.

Jake wiped a tear from his eyes. "Sorry, sorry, you're right. It's not funny- it's _hilarious_! If you could only see yourself- hang on." The former head counselor frowned for a split second. "Didn't Harley build a polaroid camera a few months ago?"

Oh _gods_ no.

"Stay here. I'll be right back!" Jake called, waving with a grin as he jogged towards the door.

"Mason," Leo threatened, "don't you _dare_ -" but the bunker entrance had already swung shut. The hispanic felt the blood drain from his face as he turned to his only hope for salvation.

Nyssa crossed her arms. "Nuh-uh. You got yourself into this."

" _Please_ , Nys." Leo all but begged. "I'll never hear the end of it if he takes that picture."

His half- sibling shook her head. "It's not my fault you decided to pull another all nighter."

"Aww, c'mon. _Please_ ," Leo was begging now. "I'll give you my dessert for a week if you help me out!"

"You barely show up to dinner anyway," Nyssa paused, raising an eyebrow. "But, if you promise to get a full eight hours of sleep tonight, then we have a deal."

Leo bit his lip, looking over at the schedule. "There's still so much to do…"

"Mason's probably back at the cabin already-"

"Deal!" Leo paused, pursing his lips slightly. "I would shake on it but..." He wiggled his fingers implicitly.

Nyssa smirked, moving over to where Leo still stood awkwardly. "I'll just have to take you at your word." She agreed. The younger demigod winced as she maneuvered his hand, the dried resin refusing to cooperate as Nyssa gently tugged at the appendage. "You got it stuck pretty good." She commented, "it might be better if we just cut it out-"

"No way." Leo pulled back from her proddings. "You are _not_ damaging the money maker."

"The _money_ maker?" Nyssa snorted. "Please, your hair is always a rats nest- what's the harm in cutting off a few more strands? No one's going to notice."

Leo shook his head, the movement made awkward by the still-attached appendage. "We are _not_ cutting my hair."

"Fine, fine," The other demigod raised her hands in surrender. "I'll go get the acetone, then."

She returned a few minutes later, dipping a cloth into the clear liquid. But just as Nyssa was about to begin wiping off the epoxy, there was a burst of light from behind them. Leo whirled, only for another flash to erupt in his eyes, forcing the Son of Hephaestus to blink away spots.

"Yes!" Jake cheered, delicately pulling on the small piece of film. "Photographic evidence." He then turned and ran towards the exit.

All thoughts of freeing his hand forgotten, Leo bolted after him. "Mason! You destroy that _right_ now-"

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Extra-Special Thanks to Quihi for reviewing! For those of you unfamilliar with my style of authorship, I always try and respond to any reviews from the previous chapter, so please drop me a comment or a question or what have you if you are enjoying this :)**_

 _ **To Quihi: Thank you for reviewing :D I'm glad the technical side of things didn't detract from the scene. I love doing my research and learning about things that I can use in my stories, but they're rarely the focus. Its the characters reactions to these situations that keeps readers reading :) Thanks again!**_

 _ **That's all for today, I hope everyone continues to enjoy these little ficlets!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	3. Entry 3: A Rigged System

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: Fantasysword92375, FierySapphire, HaloEssence111, HardlyDone, and arctickitten2005 for favoriting AND following!**_

 ** _Please enjoy Chapter 3 of Leo's Logbook!_**

 ** _-Ardoa88_**

* * *

 **Entry #3: A Rigged System**

"It's the rigging, it has to be."

"It's not the rigging."

" _Yes_ , it is."

" _No_." Jake folded his arms across his chest. "It's _not_."

"Then what else could it be?" Nyssa asked, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

The former head counselor huffed, pushing away from the railing he'd been leaning against for the past five minutes "I don't _know_ what it could be, that's why I'm asking you!"

 _Why do these problems never show up in the morning?_ Nyssa thought grumpily as she stood up from where she'd been crouched next to the control console. It was almost time for their crew to break for dinner after a productive day of rigging the flight system to the main rotors. Come to think of it, Nyssa scowled, they would already be at the dining pavillion if Jake hadn't insisted on running a quality control check before they left.

But he'd been put in charge for a reason; and if nothing else, Nyssa could respect her half-sibling's repertoire of experience when it came to rigging cables and pulley systems. It had been Jake's idea to create a moving target range for the Apollo kids- one that would vary it's speed depending on what difficulty level it was set to. And not only had he been the main system designer, but he'd also personally routed each cable as needed.

So when he said to do a quick test of the ships control system, they'd done the test.

It had gone smooth up until the moment Jake had taken his hands off of the main yolk to assess the rudder alignment. Unprompted, the control surface had turned ninety degrees to the right.

Needless to say, they'd failed the test. And consequently, were forced to troubleshoot the issue: something they'd been doing for the past _three hours_. All of which culminated to the Daughter of Hephaestus being sweaty, tired, and hungry. Any of which factors, individually, would be reason enough for the brunette to be abnormally cranky.

Nyssa turned and glared back at their team leader with equal intensity. "And that's why I'm _telling_ you, it's probably due to faulty rigging."

Jake shook his head stubbornly. "I double and _triple_ checked the pulleys and turnbuckles. They're all rigged properly."

"What about the fairleads?"

"I told you, it's _not_ the-"

"What's wrong?"

The two arguing campers startled guiltily at the new voice, Nyssa and Jake both turning to see Leo making his way up to the control board. The younger demigod had been cooped up all day in the back workshop, riveting together sheets of the outside skin with the other team.

 _They must've already left_ , Nyssa realized, casting her gaze towards the back room to see that- yup- the lights were out. Leo must've come to see what was taking them so long with the rigging. Speaking of… Nyssa turned back to her Cabin Head, seeing his eyebrows rise expectantly as he patiently waited for one of them to speak.

Jake cleared his throat, "Well, you see- after we finished rigging the controls, I called for a quality control check…"

Nyssa tuned out the rest of the explanation, instead casting a critical eye over the hispanic. She could tell that Leo was tired- hell, they all were- but the demigod looked a lot better after having gotten a solid eight hours of sleep. The Daughter of Hephaestus didn't care that she'd had to practically drag her Cabin Leader from the bunker; if the result was that the permanent bags under Leo's eyes had reduced, she'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"...and then it turns to the right." Jake finished, directing the Hispanics attention to the rear of the ship where- sure enough- the rudder swung to the right. Leo hummed thoughtfully, a pinch appearing between his brows as he glanced between the control panel and the offending control surface.

It was another five seconds before he spoke.

"Have you inspected the ball bearings within the steering control valve?" Leo asked. "They're probably improperly seated or something."

Jake and Nyssa just stared at the younger demigod, a long bout of silence stretching between the three of them. The brunette was the first to find her voice.

"How in _Hades_ do you know that?"

Leo shrugged- _shrugged!_ \- at Nyssa. "I don't _know_ for sure." He admitted. "But if you haven't checked that yet, then that's where I'd start."

"But- I mean _how_ -"

"Anyway." Leo interrupted, fighting back a yawn as he stretching long arms above his head. "I'm gonna go get some grub and hit the hay. Since _someone_ keeps insisting I eat and sleep like a proper half-human." And with those parting words, their half-sibling gave them a mock salute before making his way out of the bunker, hands tucked in pockets as he whistled an airy tune.

As soon as he was gone Nyssa whirled to Jake. "Impossible." She stated. "There is no _freaking_ way he could know how to fix this."

Jake just shook his head in bewilderment. "And yet… c'mon, let's go check and see."

He led the way down the stairs, all the while Nyssa continued her insistence. "I mean, he takes one look at the two outermost system components and then- bam! He identifies the problem? Nu-uh, no way Jose. I am calling Minotaur-shit on this one."

"Nys!" Jake admonished lightly. "I thought only the Aires kids were so vulgar."

"Like I give a damn." She snapped. "I am hungry. I am tired. I smell like an engine. And if we just spent three whole _hours_ searching for an issue that Leo could spot in five _seconds_... I am going to hit something." She stated matter-of-fact.

"As long as that something's not me." Jake muttered as they reached the main flight control closet.

The access panel swung back on oiled hinges, revealing an orderly array of wires and components. Ignoring most of the closet, Jake reached towards a small, rectangular black box mounted to the base of the panel. He quickly unscrewed the mounting hardware, removing the component with care.

The former Cabin Head then raised the box to his ear, rocking it slightly back and forth. After repeating the motion a few times, he huffed.

"Well I'll be a Satyrs uncle…"

"No." Nyssa snatched the component from his hands. "No _way._ You _cannot_ be serious-"

But the accusation died on her lips as- sure enough- she heard the telltale rattle of misaligned bearings as she gently shook the steering control valve. The two experienced mechanics shared an incredulous look. One thought pushing to the forefront.

 _How did he_ know _?_

* * *

Nyssa found him back in the bunker after dinner, bent over a light table and staring absently at a schematic under the light. They were the only two in the workshop, the others having gone back to the cabin. She marched up to him, the younger demigod completely oblivious to his surroundings.

 _BAM!_

Leo jerked up from the drawing, seeming to come back to the present as he stared down at the control valve Nyssa had just plopped onto the desk. Well… slammed, more like. He blinked a few times, then looked up at her with a question in his wide, chocolate eyes.

Nyssa had a question of her own. "How." She demanded. "How did you know?"

Leo grimaced guiltily, a rueful smile curling his lips. "I, uh… kinda ran into a similar problem a few years back when I was trying to make a flying bike."

The Daughter of Hephaestus blinked. That… was not at all what she'd expected to hear. Her shock must've shown because Leo's cheeks began to grow red under her stare.

"To be fair," he said. "I was using a car steering control valve so…"

"You tried to make a flying bike?"

The Head of Cabin Nine's cheeks were flamin now. "I had just watched the movie E.T. for the first time, and it was close to Halloween." He admitted. "So I borrowed my neighbors bike and… _temporarily commandeered_ some components from Mr. Gerosi's Chevy convertible to try and get the bike to fly."

Nyssa shook her head. She wasn't sure whether to be impressed by her half-brother's spunk, or disappointed by his lack of forethought. Maybe a bit of both?

Leo seemed to read her mind as he chuckled. "I pretty quickly found out that I would need more than car parts to truly get airborne. So instead, I settled for having the bike self-steer while being in a continuous wheelie. It took me a while to figure out how to steer with only the back wheel," Leo waved a hand dismissively. "I'll spare you the details, but long story short, it kept making unwanted left turns."

"And that's when you found out it was the control valve?" Nyssa concluded.

Her half-brother nodded. "Took me a whole day to figure it out."

The brunette shook her head with a small scoff. "And what did Mr. Gerosi have to say about you 'temporarily commandeering' his car parts?"

"Nothing." Leo smirked triumphantly. "When he found out, he actually paid me forty bucks to overhaul the whole system"

* * *

 ** _Fin! Thanks for reading!_**

 ** _if you are enjoying these little one shots, I invite you to drop me a comment or review :)_**

 ** _I have a lot more stuff planned for this side project, including some classic Leo whump age/angst/hurt-comfort. Most of them will still deal with actual fun facts about maintenance, but I do want to focus on the characters as well!_**

 ** _That's all for today! See you next time :)_**

 ** _-Ardoa88_**


	4. Entry 4: Live and Learn

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **It's been almost a month since my last post?! What! Wow... why does life always get so busy this time of year?**_

 _ **Anyway... I had a update planned for a few weeks ago- but as I wrote it out I realized it would work perfectly as a December post (no spoilers ;P) AND it's a little two-part-er so yay! There will be at least two more updates this month :D**_

 _ **Alright, time for some shoutouts!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to KrazyKittyKat3, MafiaMarshMello, TheAmazingAlchemist310, sjmunshi, and Melei for incrasing the following to double digits!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to KrazyKittyKat3, TheAmazingAlchemist310, sjmunshi, OceanLover4712, and Melei for loving this story enough to call it a favorite!**_

 _ **There will be more authors notes at the end! But first... please enjoy the fourth installment of Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry #4: Live and Learn**

"Aaannddd…. Done!"

Leo perked up from where he'd been sitting, putting down the stray wires he'd been fiddling with and moving over to the control console. He craned his neck around Harley's shoulder, looking down at the computer. A string of green numbers and letters blinked back, the alphanumeric code scrolling across the black background of the command box in a predetermined sequence that made absolutely _no_ sense to the head counselor of Cabin Nine.

"That's it?" Leo asked with a considerable amount of disbelief. It'd taken his younger half-sibling less than ten minutes to complete the configuration.

"Yup! That's it." Harley parroted with a nod, his dark curls bobbing with the motion. The smaller demigod reached over to disconnect the navigation unit from his laptop but hesitated at the last moment. "Well, I was able to program it to display latitude and longitude." He corrected. "Did you want altitude as well?"

Leo shook his head gently, "Nah, we've already got an altimeter." His eyes slid unconsciously over to the small, traditional pocket watch mounted near the center of the console. Now _that_ had taken a while to properly adjust.

"Oh, good." Herley flashed him a toothy grin, disconnecting the part and passing the unmounted instrument to Leo. "If you wanted it calibrated for altitude I would've had to hack into a fourth satellite and I'm pretty sure that'd raise a red flag in NASA's system."

Leo nearly dropped the part in surprise. "Wait- what? You _hacked_ into a NASA satellite!"

"Three, actually." His half-brother commented casually, shrugging as if the task had been as simple as adding more sugar to a cup of coffee. "If I tried for four there'd be a much bigger chance of their anti-virus program discovering my code and countering it."

"But- how-" Leo stumbled over his words, equal parts dumbfounded and awed that his eight-year-old half sibling had been able to hack into the governments satellite system.

"I have my ways." Harley answered the unasked question with a sly smirk, tucking his home built laptop safely in the crook of his arms The kid then spun on his heels, making for the gangplank as he called over his shoulder, "I'll go grab the antenna."

Leo couldn't repressed a chuckle as he watched the smaller demigod descend down the ramp, a grin slowly spreading into existence a he began mounting the navicomputer to the control panel. His hands slid through the installation procedure with ease, the process of attaching six sets of washers and screws so mundane that his mind began to wander as he worked.

 _That kid's gonna put us all to shame_ , he thought with a pang of envy that was almost instantly replaced by overwhelming pride. Not only was Harley an artist in the forge- his ability to form metal into any shape was practically godlike- but the young demigod was also a downright _genius_ when it came to programmable systems. Sure, every Child of Hephaestus had a basic grasp of computer coding: certain machines and designs required the fabrication of programs for them to run properly. But Leo had never really understood much past the fundamentals. He could calibrate instruments and machine parts as well as the rest of them, but when it came to computers he always fell short.

Not to say he never _tried_. It's just that whenever they began getting into the more complex areas like coding algorithms and merge conflict avoidance and pair programming, his mind began to short circuit. It was like trying to learn a new language- and he already spoke three of those so he knew firsthand how difficult the process was.

 _Maybe_ … a sinister whisper snaked through his mind, _if you paid more attention, or were half as smart as Harley, you would be able to fix your dragon_.

Leo dislodged the poisonous thought with a violent shake of his head, moving under the control console to install the final two screws. It wouldn't do him any good to start thinking like that; wouldn't get him any closer to bringing Festus back to life. Even… even if there was a modicum of truth to the words. If he had a better grasp of coding, maybe he could create some kind of troubleshooting algorithm instead of testing all of the animatronic dragons circuits individually. Maybe he would've been able to salvage the motherboard instead of having to create a new one from scratch. Maybe-

"You're not done yet?"

Harley's question startled Leo out of his thoughts, the older demigod jerking up only to smack his head on the underside of the panel with a yelp. Harley snorted, laughing brightly as Leo rubbed the now sore spot on top of his head in annoyance.

"I'm just tightening the last one." Leo answered defensively. "Gotta make sure the mounting hardware doesn't crack the instrument housing."

His half brother nodded with interest, eyes wide as he took in the information. "Really? Is the plastic that delicate?"

"It's not _that_ fragile." Leo responded, his annoyance already fading in light of the younger demigods genuine interest. He maneuvered out from under the panel, standing and dusting his hands off on his slacks. "But it's always good to be careful with calibrated instruments."

Harley nodded again, absorbing the advice before smiling and presenting a flat, wide, rectangular box to his Head Counselor. "Here's the antenna."

"Perfect." The older demigod took the white box, walking towards the bow of the ship where the bulwark created a sort of raised dias behind the mast. Harley followed close behind, watching as Leo attached the component. After a moment of silence, the younger demigod spoke up.

"So… why are we putting it here?" He asked. "Wouldn't it make more sense to have the receiver closer to the radio so that there's less interference?"

Leo felt another surge of delight at the younger demigods acute observation. "Normally, yes. But for GPS systems, the distance doesn't matter as much as the location. It has to be at the highest level point to get the best signal."

Harley's brow furrowed, lips pursing in thought. "Why's that?"

Leo paused, sending an incredulous look at the younger demigod. Harley had programmed the navicomputer to siphon off NASA satellite radio frequencies, but didn't know how the system operated?

The kid must've guessed what the older demigod was thinking because he folded his arms across his chest and glanced away, cheeks coloring in embarrassment. "Just because I can do stuff doesn't mean I'm an expert." Harley said sourly.

"No, no, that's not what I-" Leo backtracked quickly, instantly remorseful that he'd made his youngest cabin mate so humiliated. _Dios_ , he was _really_ bad with organics. Leo rested a hand on the kids shoulder and smiled wide. "You're just so smart that I forget you're still learning like the rest of us."

At that, Harley perked up, canting his head to stare up at the taller demigod. "Even you?"

"I learn something new everyday, kiddo." Leo affirmed, moving his hand from the broad shouldered youth to ruffle his hair. "And so should you. That being said-" Leo clapped his hands together. "Lesson of the day: GPS systems. There are three main parts to any basic communication system-"

"Transmitters, antenna, and receivers." Harley interrupted, bobbing his head as he listed them.

"See?" Leo grinned, nudging the kid with his elbow. "You're a regular Einstein!"

The younger demigod practically glowed at the praise and Leo felt himself relax a bit as he began explaining how the global positioning system worked. As he talked, his mind wandered back to the first time he'd learned about the system himself. He'd been sitting on his mothers lap, wondering how the little device in his hand knew where they were, asking if maybe a secret agent had been assigned to watch them and make the device show their location. Leo's mom had laughed at that _._ _"No, mijo."_ She'd responded, eyes wrinkled around the edge with a smile. _"We are watched by the stars. Ven y mira- outside."_

And they'd walked out into the brisk night air, staring up at the star-spangled sky until Leo had seen one light moving across the dark expanse. A satellite, his mother had told him. One that could send radio signals faster than the speed of light and be received anywhere within sight.

Leo had been fascinated by the concept, just as Harley was now as the older demigod spoke of how there were twenty-one operative satellites orbiting the earth, and how their signals could be translated into coordinates.

"That's why the antenna has to be at the highest point." Harley breathed in a moment of eureka. "Or else it won't pick up the satellites transmission?"

Leo nodded his head. "Exactly. Because the satellites use what they call a space wave; they're line of sight wavelengths. If the antenna can't be 'seen' by the satellite, it can't receive the signal."

"Oh…" Harley's eyes widened in understanding.

Leo let Harley bask in his newfound knowledge while he finished the installation; knowing exactly how good it felt to have all of the gears finally click into place, to finally understand- _fully_ understand an evasive concept.

"You're super smart, you know that?"

Speechless for a moment, Leo blinked down at the younger demigod. The sincerity in Harley's words was genuinely touching, especially since he didn't deserve the compliment. He wasn't good with people like Jake, or a troubleshooting mastermind like Nyssa. Heck, even Harley was faster at riveting together sheet metal skins than Leo and half of the campers in Cabin Nine combined. Meanwhile Leo couldn't even fix one measly dragon.

But then his thoughts flipped- almost as if he was subconsciously avoiding that previous line of thinking- and he remembered all of the times he'd tinkered with random parts in his mom's workshop. All of the times he'd make her laugh or smile with his inventions. The nights they'd stay up and talk about the mechanics and small mechanisms within parts, explaining everything in detail regardless of how his young brain hadn't been able to fully grasp certain concepts. How she would hold him close and whisper how proud she was of her little lion.

"Yeah, well," Leo smiled softly, eyes prickling with moisture as he turned back to the antenna. "I had a really good teacher."

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Aww... I love Leo ;) ANd I'm TOTALLY not setting anything up with the constant dragon references... *wink wink***_

 _ **That's all the spoilers you get! I'm not sure when the next update will be but I'll make sure the two-shot is updated swiftly (both chapters will be out within a week of each other). Authors Promise.**_

 _ **Final Things:**_

 _ **First, to MafiaMarshMello: Here's the update! Sorry it took so long to get out :)**_

 _ **Secondly, to KrazyKittyKat3: Yes, yes he is. Leo is the most awesomest demigod period. End of sentence. It's not like I'm biased towards him because we both love mechanics ;) Thanks for the enthusiasm, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**_

 _ **Next, to HaloEssence111: Thanks! I really enjoy writing in little tidbits I learn in my classes. A lot of the subject matter is just SO interesting to imagine the demigods incorporating it into the ArgoII. Also- great critique! I went back and changed that detail so thanks for pointing it out!**_

 _ **To sjmunshi: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story :D**_

 _ **To Ensis96: Aww, thanks! And yeah- I was giggling as I wrote that scene of his hand stuck to his head. And duh- techno jargon galore would just be boring, gotta have those family moments :D Thanks for everything!**_

 _ **Lastly, to Melei: Here's that 'more of it' you were talking about ;) Thanks so much for the encouraging review!**_

 _ **As always, if you are enjoying this story please drop me a comment, if you see something wrong hit me up with a quick critique. I love hearing from my readers so don't be a stranger!**_

 _ **That's all for now! Until next time have a fantastic day!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

 _ **Spanish Translation: "Mijo" = Son, "Ven y mira" = Come and see**_


	5. Entry 5: Thankless Work 1

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you all are having a WONDERFUL holiday week :)**_

 _ **No shoutouts today. Authors notes at the bottom.**_

 _ **Please enjoy the 5th entry in Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry #5: Thankless Work 1**

Leo sat back, extinguishing his finger torch and pushing his goggles up so he could critique his work. He squinted down at the soldered wire, inspecting the striped strands with a critical eye. There were no obvious defects; no wires poking out from the filler, no burned insulation, and no excess solder had been sucked up into the shielded portion of the wire. Lastly, Leo tugged on the two ends of the wire; ensuring that the mechanical connection held strong.

The inspection process had taken him all of ten seconds to perform, the demigod nodding in satisfaction at its completion. Slipping the small tube of heat shrink over the exposed metal strands, the Son of Hephaestus allowed his hand to warm with power. A small wisp of smoke rose between his fingers as he waited for the protective covering to seal over the repair.

"Twenty-two down." The mechanic said to himself cheerily, stretching his arms above his head. "Forty-eight to go." He was more than a third of the way through and it was only… well, sometime after lunch: Leo had a bad habit of losing track of time when he was working.

Without warning, there was a loud _boom_ from outside the bunker. Leo's head jerked up and around, heart jackhammering for a solid three seconds before his gaze snapped around to stare at the clock. _Speaking of time…_ _was it that late already?_

5:40 pm.

The demigod exhaled in relief with a small smile. Good. He still had a couple of hours. The fireworks weren't supposed to start until after dinner, but Leo couldn't bring himself to blame his cabin mates for doing a test fire so early. For the past week and a half, they'd stopped working on the Argo II in order to tackle a much more daunting endeavor: the New Year's Eve Celebration.

Chiron had come to Cabin Nine a few days before Christmas, presenting the children of Hephaestus with a challenge. Apparently, it was a Camp Half-Blood tradition for the different cabins to take turns providing entertainment after the New Year's feast: and- lo and behold- this year it was Cabin Nine's time to shine!

There had been a short debate over what sort of 'entertainment' they could do, but it wasn't long before Leo's half-siblings had come to an agreement on something that everyone would enjoy. The Aphrodite kids would love the beautiful colors, the Ares kids would appreciate the explosions, even the Athena kids would have to admit how impressive the displays would be.

And, oh boy, would they be impressive.

Leo's heart swelled with pride as he thought back on all of the hard work his cabin mates had put into the project. It was going to be a spectacular show- he couldn't wait to see it! His heart twinged slightly with guilt, knowing he should've been helping them prepare for the past week. Should've lent his assistance constructing the pyrotechnics: but he had his own work to do.

Weary eyes looked back down at the would-be masthead, some of the faux cheer from earlier fading. Festus's red polycarbonate eyes stared back at him; dark and lifeless. The head of the dragon was all that had remained after their crash landing in King Midas' fortress. For the past nine days, while the others prepped for the party, he'd been working relentlessly on restoring the animatronic's electrical system. He stared down the tangled web of wires, diodes, transistors, and the like: most of which had been charred beyond recognition. They'd been so busy constructing the ship that Leo hadn't had the time to start the in-depth overhaul that Festus required.

Leo felt another twinge of guilt, recalling how he'd begged Hephaestus to bring the dragon head back to the bunker; promising to fix his friend. Back when it had happened, when the laser targeting system had incinerated the rest of Festus' body, Leo felt like someone had taken a knife to his heart. And now, each failed power-up felt like that knife was being twisted in his sternum.

But he wouldn't give up.

He couldn't.

The sound of the Bunker door swinging open drew the young demigod from his thoughts and he looked up, expecting to see one of his cabinmates- maybe coming to grab some supplies for the show. He did not expect to see the tall, blonde Daughter of Athena.

"Annabeth?" Leo got up from the work chair, nervously wiping his hands on his trousers. "What are- er- what bring you to Leo's World?" He asked, forcing a smile on his face even as his usually flamboyant demeanor wavered.

Annabeth was one _scary_ _chica_. Ever since the day she's arrived at the Grand Canyon demanding they give her Percy Jackson (whoever he was- Leo still hadn't seen any pictures of him, let alone actually _met_ the guy) he'd officially discarded the stereotype of dumb blondes.

The Daughter of Athena snapped her gaze away from the ship, and she offered the younger demigod a tight smile. "Just came to see how things are coming along." Her grey eyes roved over the rafters, a frown forming on her lips. "Where… where is everybody?"

Leo waved his hand dismissively, "I gave them the past week and a half off. It's our turn to-"

"A _week and a half_."

Even though Annabeth hadn't raised her voice a single decibel, the Son of Hephaestus sill cringed. "Yeah, Chiron-"

"It's already been three _months_ since construction started on the ship." Annabeth interrupted again, her eyes flashing like lightning among a storm. "We don't a second to waste, and yet you're telling me that no work has been done for the past _week and a half!_ "

"We're still on schedule-"

"I mean, _look_ at it!" Annabeth fling her hand towards the ship. "The upper deck hasn't even been built yet, the aft section is incomplete, Half of the hull's skin is missing, the mast has no sail or side supports, and I don't see any form of defenses- you do realize we'll be going up against Gaea? As in the mother of the _giants_? The ship's gonna need a way to protect itself." Annabeth snapped, ignoring the younger demigod; stormy eyes lighted upon the dragon head and she huffed. "But instead you give everyone else a whole _week_ off and spend your own time working on _that_ piece of junk?"

Leo's head whipped up, eyes sparking. "Hey-"

"You don't understand how important this is, do you?" The rhetorical question barreled over Leo's response. "I get that you need breaks every now and again. But it's _imperative_ that we get to this other camp as soon as possible. 'On Schedule' is still too late. This project," She gestured to the ship, "needs to be your top priority. Not some useless dragon head that's meant for aesthetics."

That was the last straw.

She could insult _him_ , call _him_ lazy, insinuate that _he_ was wasting his time on the dragon head. But she was _not_ allowed to insult his cabinmates _or_ the machine they'd been tirelessly working on- nonstop- for the last twelve weeks. And she certainly was _not_ allowed to insult Festus.

His own eyes blazed with anger as Leo drew himself up to full height- ignoring the fact that the older girl still topped him by a solid three inches.

"One, Festus is _not_ a piece of junk." The demigod could feel flames tickling the inside of his clenched fists. "And two: It _is_. Where do you think we've been all this time? Not at the training fields, not at the rock climbing wall, not at the camp-wide games of capture the flag. No. We've been working _around_ the clock to get her finished. I think everyone's _more_ than earned a break; and if you think otherwise you can take it up with Chiron."

Annabeth's eyes narrowed a fraction but Leo's held his ground. It took every ounce of willpower he had to hold back the flames that were itching to be set loose on the female demigod. Leo thought he saw a flicker of some emotion in the older demigod's unrelenting stare- remorse, maybe?- but it was gone in the next second. The Daughter of Athena was the first to break eye contact, turning on her heels.

"Just get it done." She snapped over her shoulder as she stalked towards the exit.

The bunker door crashed shut behind her and Leo let out a shaky breath. His legs felt suddenly unsteady, and he sat down heavily in the work chair. That had been… intense. Leo had never really been one to confront his bullies- he much preferred the alternate tactic of distract and evade. Too many emotions were roiling in his gut, competing for the demigod's attention: but two stood out among the jumbled mess. Blazing anger, and crushing guilt.

The anger, he knew, would fade in time. Leo was smart enough to realize that Annabeth _probably_ hadn't meant to insult their work. She was just as stressed as the rest if them were- probably even more so since it was _her_ boyfriend who was missing- and Leo had just been in the right place at the wrong time: providing a convenient outlet for that pent up frustration.

Still… that didn't mean her words hadn't stung. Especially since they were all true.

Leo's shoulders slumped under the metaphorical weight of his guilt. He knew- he _knew_ \- that every second he spent on side projects was a second wasted. And ever since he, Piper, and Jason had gone on their quest, Leo had come to appreciate just how crucial a few seconds could be. Yet he couldn't bring himself to _not_ work on Festus. He had to prove to his cabin mates that he could fix _something_ , do _something_ right.

Had to prove it to himself.

 _But…_ Leo heaved a heavy sigh, glancing back up at the ship. Annabeth was right, there was more pressing maintenance to be done. The Son of Hephaestus rested an apologetic hand on the lifeless animatronic.

"I'll get you up and running soon," He murmured, voice loud in the silence. "I promise."

Dull red polycarbonate eyes stared wordlessly back.

Leo swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, shoving his doubts and guilt into a deep recess in his mind. Then he pulled out a planishing mallet and turned towards the unfinished ship. Annabeth's words rang in his ears. It could really use some defensive modifications: Shields, perhaps, along the bulwark. And some sort of ranged cannons, like seafaring pirates in the movies.

Leo forced a smile onto his face, the expression chasing away some of the negative feelings. He made his way up the gangplank, eyeing the lower mast support beam.

He had work to do.

* * *

 _ **Fin. Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **So, as you may have noticed this is part 1 of 2 for this entry. I plan to have the second half posted in a week at the latest, so look for it then!**_

 _ **Final things,**_

 _ **To KrazyKittyKat3: I know right?! He's such a cute little guy, I loved writing him and Leo together. Thank you SO much for the review- it made my day.**_

 _ **That's all for today! Thanks again to all of my readers and SUPER HUGE thanks to those who review :D I love hearing from you guys.**_

 _ **As always, feel free to drop a comment, critique, or just tell me if you liked a particular part. Reviews are the lifeblood of fanfiction and they are great motivators :)**_

 _ **Happy Holidays!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	6. Entry 6: Thankless Work 2

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **A slight delay in updating, but regardless, part 2 is up! Thank you for your patience :) Quick shoutouts and onto the story!**_

 _ **Shoutout to Zline for favoriting this story!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to WiseGirl5 and Zline for joining the following!**_

 _ **HUGE SHOUTOUT to KrazyKittyKat3 for being such an AWESOME and repeat reviewer!**_

 _ **Please enjoy the 6th Entry in Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry #6: Thankless Work 2**

 _Leo was right, this is truly amazing!_ Piper thought with a smile, snuggling closer to Jason as her eyes watched the sky. She felt his arm come around her shoulder, holding her tight while another _boom_ rattled the atmosphere; bright orange and green and purple and red hues coloring the night sky.

It wasn't just a fireworks display. It was a fireworks _show_.

The multi-colored explosions painted a picture among the starry expanse, of brave Greek heroes and fearsome mythical monsters. Showers of sparks rippled from above as a green and purple firework Hercules defeated the orange and red Anemian Lion. Piper didn't know _how_ Leo's cabin had managed to concoct this moving-picture-slash-firework marvel, but it was breathtaking.

A high-pitched screech ripped through the cheers of the demigod spectators before another burst of light illuminated the darkness. This time it was a hydra, hued a poisonous blue-purple, the seven-headed serpentine beast snapping at Hercules. Each time the fabled hero cut down one of the hydra heads, there was another set of explosions as two more fireworks took its place.

Absolutely spectacular.

If only Leo were here to enjoy it with them. The hispanic had promised Piper he would join them for dinner and sit with them through the show. The Daughter of Aphrodite frowned; come to think of it, she hadn't seen Leo at dinner either…

 _I wonder where he is?_

"Where who is?"

Piper started, not realizing she had spoken aloud. Jason looked down at her, an eyebrow raised in confusion as he waited for her answer.

"Leo." She replied, "He said he was going to meet us at the banquet dinner, remember?"

Jason didn't respond immediately, but from the pinch between his brows, she could tell he'd forgotten. "He's probably just with his cabinmates." Jason said, waving a hand towards the base of the hill where the pyrotechnics were set up. "It _is_ a pretty big event. I'm sure he's helping them ensure everything runs smoothly."

"Yeah… probably." Piper hummed distractedly, her eyes no longer aimed at the sky as she squinted towards the bottom of the hill.

Jason shifted away a bit, arm sliding halfway down her back as he studied her expression. "I know that look."

"What look? I don't have a look."

"You _totally_ have a look." Jason teased. "It's that 'I'm worried about something' look."

Piper huffed, feeling her cheeks grow a little warm. "Well… I am a _little_ worried. Leo's been working himself to death over that ship of his. He barely has the time to hang out with us anymore, and then, when he says he will, he doesn't show up? Does that sound like Leo to you?"

It was Jason's turn to hum in thought. "No." He admitted after a moment. "Not really."

Piper nodded, decision made as she stood. "I'm gonna go look for him."

Jason stood as well, dusting his hands off on his jeans. "I'm coming too." He said, flashing her a quick smile.

The Daughter of Aphrodite felt her heart melt a little under the smile, her own features reciprocating the expression before turning and striding purposefully down the hill. The members of cabin nine were scurrying about the base of the firework setup, and in the low light it was difficult to make out one from the other. After a moment of scanning the faces, Piper spotted a tall, muscled girl in a tank top and bandana.

"Nyssa!" Piper's voice was drowned out by the sound of three fireworks going off in rapid succession as Hercules finally defeated the hydra. There was a brief break from the explosions as the colors faded from the sky; the trials of Hercules shifting to make way for another Greek tale.

She tried again, "Nyssa!"

This time the demigod Daughter of Hephaestus looked up, turning around to see Piper and Jason making their way towards her.

"Hey guys! Enjoying the show?" She asked with a grin.

"The show's _amazing_!" Piper breathed with a matching smile. "How'd you get the fireworks to move like that?"

The Daughter of Hephaestus tilted her head and shrugged. "Jake figured out a way with the help of the Hecate kids." Her grin faded slightly, "You're… not supposed to be down here, actually."

"We know," Piper hurried to assure. "We just wanted to see if Leo was with you."

Nyssa's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I though he said he was gonna watch the show with you two?"

"He did." Jason affirmed with a nod. "But he never showed."

Thick eyebrows crashed down like waves upon a rocky shore. The older demigod practically growling, "What do you mean he _never showed_? Don't tell me he- ooh, I'm gonna kill him."

Piper felt a bit of her worry fade. "You know where he is?" It sure sounded like the older girl did.

"If he's not with you and he's not with us-"

Leo's half-sibling was cut off as the next round of fireworks was jettisoned into the air. After a brief pause she continued.

"Then he's _still_ in the Bunker." Nyssa scowled, looking off into the woods. "And I'm gonna _kill_ him."

"Uh," Jason raised a finger, "Chiron probably wouldn't approve of bloodshed on New Years Eve…"

"I'm sure Leo just lost track of the time." Piper added. "We'll go see if we can find him."

Nyssa shook her head, waiting for the next set of fireworks to go off before replying, "No, it's alright, you guys go enjoy the show, I can go drag Leo's butt out of that f-"

 _Boom!_

"-ing hanger."

"It's no trouble." Piper said dismissively. "He's our friend. And besides, you've got a show to run."

There was a silent moment in which Nyssa gave the two demigods a critical once-over: then she sighed. "Fine. Just, when you find him, tell him I'll kick his a-" _Boom!_ "-into next week if he doesn't come out."

"We will." Jason assured with a wave, as he and Piper turned towards the forest.

They found him in the Bunker, just as Nyssa said. Piper had only been to the secluded workshop a few times since arriving back at Camp Half-Blood. It was just as cluttered as the previous times, but the Daughter of Aphrodite was impressed by the amount of progress that had been made on the ship. The rear hull had been attached to the framework, and the deck was coming together. The main mast was standing tall, and even the masthead base appeared to be well under-way into its construction.

Leo was aloft. The hispanic having shimmied up the rigging until he was straddling the lower cross support of the main mast; banging away at the celestial bronze with a comically large wooden mallet. A continual, rhythmic pounding echoed around the bunker, drowning out the sound of Piper and Jason's approaching footsteps.

"Hey, Leo. Leo?" Piper raised her voice a bit more. "LEO!" The Son of Hephaestus' paused in his motions, looking up from the mast with a frown, arm drawn back for another swing. "Down here!" Piper directed, waving her hand up at him.

Leo's head swiveled in their direction, the mechanic leaning back on his precarious perch to peer down at the ground. Brown eyes lighted upon the two demigods and a smile spread across his face. Leo waved his tool-free arm at them. "Oh, hey guys- _whoa!_ " The mechanic's greeting turned into a shout as he overextended his wave: arms pinwheeling frantically to try to regain his balance.

Piper gasped audibly as gravity won out, watching as Leo crashed to the deck with an undignified yelp. Jason was moving a split second before her, rushing up the gangplank. Piper followed at his heels, arriving on deck to see Leo propping himself up on his elbows, rubbing one hand behind his neck.

"Ow…" The mechanic muttered.

" _Ow?_ " Piper's voice cracked slightly, her heart still racing as Jason offered the hispanic a hand up. "You just took a seven foot tumble and all you say is 'ow'?"

"Um…" Leo blinked in confusion, glancing at Jason then back at Piper. "Yeah?"

"Why weren't you wearing a safety harness?" Piper scolded, "You made me wear one when I came by a few weeks ago- so don't say you don't have any."

Leo, who's had opened his mouth, closed it with a snap, mocha cheeks coloring slightly. "Geez, Beauty Queen, chill. I know what I'm doing."

"Falling, apparently." The Daughter of Aphrodite retorted. But her tone was kind, the panic from seeing her friend fall already starting to fade away.

The mechanic huffed, reaching up to accept Jason's offered hand, the taller demigod easily hauling Leo to his feet with casual muscle.

"You okay?" Jason asked simply, a modicum of concern still tinting his words.

"Yeah, I'm good." Leo answered seriously, before his trademark grin split his face. "You know me, Superman, they don't call me hard headed for nothing."

Jason chuckled while Piper groaned.

"Anyway," Leo bent down to pick up the fallen hammer. "What brings you guys to Bunker Nine?"

"You missed dinner." Piper answered, folding her arms across her chest.

Leo nearly dropped the mallet, head swiveling to stare at them in shock. "What? I did?" Chocolate eyes snapped over to the clock on the wall. "No, that can't be right it's only 6:15."

Jason frowned at the clock, watching it for a moment. "Leo… that clock's not moving."

The Son of Hephaestus blinked, long and slow. His voice was quiet and hesitant when he spoke (two words Piper never thought she'd never use when describing the hispanic). "Then… what time is it now?"

"10:35."

 _Plop_.

Leo stared down at the dropped tool, making no move to pick it up. There was a strange expression on his face, something that looked like… shame. _But, no, that couldn't be right_ , Piper shook her head slightly, _this is Leo we're talking about; Energetic, goofy, little-brother-like Leo._

And yet, the hispanics next words were strained. "So that means- the show- I… _Maldito!_ " With a swift kick the mallet was sent skittering across the workshop, smashing into a pile of scrap metal.

Piper and Jason exchanged a concerned look. The latter stepped forwards, "Hey, it's okay-"

"No, it's _not_ okay!" Leo snapped, running a hand through his disheveled hair as he began to pace in a small circle. "I _promised_ the others I would be there to watch it and yet- argh! I should've been paying closer attention to the time. I can't believe I _missed_ it- _Soy un gran idiota!_ "

"You are many things, Leo Valdez- a jokester, a workaholic, a pyromaniac- but an idiot is not one of those things." Piper said firmly, reaching out and grabbing Leo's elbow to stop his movements, turning the hispanic to face her. The Son of Hephaestus fidgeted slightly, but didn't try to pull away, his eyes finding the floor suddenly incredibly interesting. His demeanor reminded Piper of a child waiting to be scolded from stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. "It's not your fault that the clock's broken." The Daughter of Aphrodite continued in a gentler tone.

"Besides, you didn't miss the _whole_ show." Jason added. "It only started fifteen minutes ago."

"Yeah, but-" Leo made a weak gesture towards the door. "By the time we get back-"

"Whoever said we had to go back?" Jason interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "The workshop does have roof access, doesn't it?"

After a moment, understanding dawned on the mechanics face and a small smile pulled at his lips. "Yes, actually… yeah, it does. Follow me."

He turned, leading them through to the back of Bunker Nine and up a small set of spiral stairs. With each step the tension in the hispanics shoulders seemed to lessen, and Piper made a silent promise to check in on her friend more often. The outside air was crisp and cool, a soft wind rippling across the top of the trees. A loud _pop_ split the sky, the blue and green firework exploding into existence above the canopy. Leo, Jason, and Piper sat back on the shallow roof, three sets of eyes fixed upon the aerial light show.

A few moments passed in companionable silence. Then Leo said, "Thanks, guys. And I'm sorry about not meeting you for dinner."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Leo." Piper flashed him a smile, having to turn her head slightly. "But- just so you know- you _are_ allowed to take a break from working once in a blue moon."

A grimace flashed across Leo's face, but it was gone in an instant, leaving Piper to wonder if it had even been there at all of if it was some trick of the light. The mechanic proceeded to feign shock, gasping dramatically and slapping a pam to his forehead. "You mean the mythical concept of 'breaks' is real? By the gods- I must tell the others of this monumental discovery at once!" He declared sarcastically.

Jason laughed. "You're not funny, Valdez."

"Oh?" Leo's smirk grew. "Just like how you're _totally_ not laughing right now, Grace?"

"I'm only laughing because the joke was so terrible."

"That's ridiculous!"

"You're _both_ ridiculous." Piper chuckled, hooking one arm around each boy's shoulder: Leo on her left, Jason on the right. As their laughter died down and the demigods returned their attention to the stars, Piper realized she wouldn't want to have it any other way. "Happy New Years, you guys."

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Thanks again to everyone who continues to read and enjoy these little one-shots. I know they're sparatically updated, so here's a SUPER HUGE shoutout to all of my guest readers! :D**_

 _ **Final things:**_

 _ **First, to KrazyKittyKat: I know right?! It's almost like someone was writing her to be so mean... ;P But in all seriousness, yes, I'd imagine she would be plenty stressed about Percy's 'missing' status. Though, she really shouldn't be yelling at poor Leo. He's doing his best. Thanks again for your review! It really made my day :)**_

 _ **That's all for today!**_ _ **I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years Eve :D**_

 _ **As always, feel free to drop me a review, comment, critique, suggestion, or what have you. It is incredibly motivating to get feedback from wonderful readers like you.**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	7. Entry 7: Salt and Stone

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Welcome back- it's been a hot minute since I've updated, lets get to it!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: DWGolondor, ElementaryMonocole, Venomous dragon bite, and a311243549 for favoriting the story :)**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: DWGolondor, ElementaryMonocole, honeybadger894, a311243549, and Murderder for increasing the following!**_

 _ **Please enjoy the seventh entry into Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry #7: Salt and Stone**

Jason rubbed at tired eyes, suppressing a yawn as he slipped a hand through his jacket sleeve. The digital alarm clock at his bedside flashed at him angrily: bright red numbers declaring that it was way too early to be awake.

Still, the Son of Jupiter had a job to do.

The screen door slammed shut behind him, the noise reverberating through the empty cabin. Jason jogged over to the central fire pit, breaths fogging in the frosty night air. It was nearly a month past new years, and yet the climate remained as frigid as Khione's icy palace. Four other campers were already gathered, all of them huddling around the blaze for warmth. All had donned jackets and gloves, and Jason regretted not bringing his own, instead shoving his hands in his pockets.

Will Solace glanced up at his arrival, bangs as yellow as his father's dominion shifting in front of his eyes, making him squint..

"Morning." Jason nodded in greeting.

"Is it?" The Son of Apollo's nose scrunched up even as his lips smiled. "As far as I know, morning doesn't officially start until the sun comes up."

One of the other demigods- a thin, curly-haired teen- snorted. "If it's no longer yesterday, but instead yesterday's tomorrow, then technically it _is_ the morning of today."

"Leave it to a Stoll brother to make simple concepts like morning and night more confusing." Will grumbled.

The comment elicited a round of chuckles from the demigods; the Stoll brothers were famous for their pranks and quick wits. Travis and Connor- twins of mischief. Not that Jason knew which one was here now. The Son of Jupiter had only seen them around camp a few times, but the twins were truly identical: in both appearance and mindset.

"At least I don't have to deal with two of you at once." Will continued. "Anyway, now that we're all here, I can start handing out the assignments." Laughs turned to groans. "Oh come now," The Son of Apollo scolded, "everyone in camp has to take their turn. It's not my fault we all got selected for the darkest, coldest shift."

Will unfolded a sheet of paper, squinting in the low light at the neatly penned letters. "Marie Johnson, you'll patrol the shoreline. Connor Stoll, the stables, armory, and arena. Henry Mancin, you take the strawberry fields and the big house. Jason Grace-"

Jason straightened slightly at being addressed.

"-the amphitheater, climbing wall, and mess hall. And I will be patrolling Thalias Pine, the courts, and the arts and crafts pavillion." Will concluded, folding the paper and pocketing the orders. "Stay awake and stay alert. Last week Butch reported that someone had raided the art supply closet: whoever it was took a dozen bricks of clay."

"Oh no!" Connor Stoll cried mockingly. "Not the clay! However will we make pots and plates, and beads for our necklaces?"

Will leveled the Son of Hermes with a flat look. "Maybe next this mystery thief will steal swords from the armory, or pegasi from the stables, or twinkies from the kitchen-"

"Now that's a real crime right there, that is." Connor interrupted.

"Regardless," Will sighed. "Eyes peeled. And report anything suspicious to myself or Chiron."

And so their watch began; the five chosen demigods parting ways. Jason's path took him around the shore of Canoe Lake, the water rippling gently with the wind, reflected starlight twinkling among the waves. If it weren't so cold, the Son of Jupiter would be tempted to sit at the water's edge and watch the crescent moon make its lazy way across the sky.

Maybe he'd come back tomorrow night with Piper. She'd enjoy the view as well.

A thick gust of wind tore through his light jacket and Jason shiverred, drawing his jacket tighter. On second thought, he'd take Piper out on a moonlit walk some other day, when it wasn't so gods damned cold. The Son of Jupiter forced his still feet to move, hoping that the motion would keep out the chill.

Guard duty was boring. Walk over here, look over there, walk some more. Not that Jason didn't understand the reasoning for it. Ever since Gaea's plan had been unearthed (Jason internally snorted at the pun) monster activity had spiked. Chiron had forbidden any more quests from being issued, and demigods were not allowed to take day-long vacations to the city. Training had increased, and fun activities like capture the flag were becoming more and more of a rarity. All of which had led to a stirring of cabin fever, and consequently, a need for nightly patrols.

Jason strolled through the amphitheater, the sloped stadium abnormally quiet. Then again, he supposed that everything would be abnormally quiet at two o'clock in the morning. As he'd been instructed, the Son of Jupiter took his time, scanning the area with a critical eye. A glint near the base of the seating area drew the demigod over, a flash of silver among the muted grey concrete.

A candy wrapper. The Son of Jupiter tucked the piece of trash into his pocket, making a mental note to remind the others to clean up after themselves.

Time and distance were slowly eaten up as Jason meandered past the climbing wall. Again the demigod was struck with how different parts of the camp looked after dark. No lava flowed down the side of the wall, no water or rocks threatening to dislodge from the side. Under the moonlight it looked like any other carnival climbing wall- albeit much bigger than one you'd find at a county fair.

Jason made two passes around the area before moving on. Tired feet scuffed in the dirt as he headed towards the mess hall. The Son of Jupiter suppressed another yawn as he passed through the pavillion, shaking his head in a poor attempt to wake himself up.

The pavillion was gigantic. Ten times the size of a single cabin, and five times as wide. Wooden tables and benches stretched the length of the open air dining room, casting long shadows against the raised floor. There were twelve tables in total, one for each of the major Greek gods. From what he'd been told, there used to be strict rules about who was allowed to sit where and at which table. Apparently, those rules were discarded after the fabled Percy Jackson had saved the world from the Titan Kronos.

Just to the left of the pavillion was the mess hall itself- a long kitchen area where the majority of the food stores were kept. While Mr. D had enchanted the goblets to remain full, the plates worked differently. The food had to be prepared ahead of time before magically appearing on the plates.

 _Clang_.

Jason's head snapped over at the sound. It had come from inside the mess hall. Slipping his hand into his pocket to finger his golden coin, the Son of Jupiter made his way towards the door to the kitchen. He pressed himself to the wall, flipping the coin and gripping the spear that formed with both hands. As he drew closer to the door, Jason saw that the magical padlock had been picked, the metal links draped over the doorknob in an attempt to hide the fact it was unlocked.

There was a faint sound of shuffling from inside, and the muted _thump_ of something being set upright. Jason inched forwards, peering inside but all he could make out was a small flame, roughly the size of that on a scented candle.

Moving slowly and quietly as not to alert the intruder, Jason nudged the well-oiled door open with his foot, slipping into the dark room. Among the deeper shadows was the distinct outline of a person standing on a stool, stretched on their toes with one hand reaching towards something on the top shelf of the pantry racks.

The thief hadn't noticed his presence, Jason repositioning himself so that he was standing next to the light switch. Taking a breath, the Son of Jupiter flipped it on. Night turned to day within the mess hall; half a dozen fluorescent quasar lights bursting to life.

There was a squak of surprise as the intruder lurched back, teetered precariously on the edge of the stool, thin arms windmilling for a moment before the imbalance forced the stool to topple. The thief grabbed at the shelves, snagging onto the second from the top only for the aged wooden shelf to snap under the unexpected load. A puff of white smoke enveloped the kitchen as a sack of flour plopped onto the floor. The intruder tumbled to the ground with a thud, and Jason stepped forwards, spear leveled at the figure as the flour settled.

"...Leo?"

The hispanic blinked in the sudden illumination, one hand thrown up to protect his eyes while he coughed. His entire front had been dusted in the powder, coating his normally dark skin and hair a stark white. Chocolate eyes blinked a few times, squinting up at the Son of Jupiter.

"Fly boy? Is that you?"

Jason sighed at the nickname, returning his weapon to it's coin form before reaching out a hand to help the Son of Hephaestus from the floor. "What in Hades are you doing? You know no one's supposed to be out past curfew. If Chiron-" The reprimand died on his lips as he spotted the burlap sack that lay open at the hispanics feet. "Is that... table salt?"

Leo took the offered hand, hauling himself to his feet and patting down his clothes. He was wearing the same combination of white shirt and suspenders as he always did, with his magical toolbelt strapped around his waist. Small clouds of flour were released as he beat the fabric, hanging hazily in the air before settling.

"Yup." He answered simply, snatching a rag from where it hung over the stove and wiping down his face. The action left streaks of white in contrast to his naturally tanned skin; looking like a guerilla fighter in camo from the old black and white movies.

"... _Why_?" Jason pressed: realizing Leo didn't think there was anything strange at all in stealing table salt at 2:30 in the morning.

"Why what?" Leo frowned, following the Son of Jupiter's line of sight and letting out a soft 'ah' as he caught on. "Oh, I need it for the fire detection system." His powdered cheeks colored slightly as he glanced at the top shelf. "I just got greedy with the twinky; I missed dinner and my stomach wouldn't stop reminding me. Why do they keep those things on the top shelf anyway?"

"Probably to stop people from sneaking in and stealing them in the night." Jason crossed his arms, watching Leo bend down to pick up the sack of stolen goods before adding, "Not that anyone would think of doing something like that, what with the new curfew restrictions and punishments."

Leo's hand paused in its motion, a pinch forming between the hispanics brow. "Since when is there a curfew?"

"As of two weeks ago. Chiron set it up when one of the Hermes kids tried to teepee the Aires cabin after lights out."

The Son of Hephaestus chuckled. "Bet they deserved it."

"Bet that Hermes kid regretted it once Chiron assigned him stables duty for a month." Jason countered.

"A _month_!" Leo's eyes widened. "Just for throwing some toilet paper over the roof of a cabin?"

"Imagine what the punishment would be for someone who stole all of the kitchens table salt."

It was hard for Jason not to laugh as the hispanics face became nearly as white as the flour covering the floor. The mechanic's head whipped up so fast it dislodged more of the cooking ingredient from his hair, sending him sputtering as he tried to speak without inhaling the cloud.

"You can't- you wouldn't- _please_ Jason, please don't tell Chiron!"

"Oh it's Jason now? Not Fly Boy? Or Superman?" Jason smirked as Leo stumbled over his words. As much fun as it was to watch his friend squirm, the Son of Jupiter didn't plan on letting him suffer for long. "I _might_ be convinced to keep quiet." He said, the seven words effectively stymying Leo's babble. " _If_ you can explain to me, in _detail_ , why you absolutely need this salt for your fire detection system."

Leo snagged the offered lifeline, a breath of relief slipping between his lips. "So, I was experimenting with a new type of detection system, because the old spot detection method is just too unreliable." As he spoke, the hispanic moved, righting the toppled stool and sitting down with the sack of salt cradled in his lap.

Panicked eyes were replaced with excitement as Leo's hands gestured rapidly with his explanation. "Nyssa had heard of this new system that used gas and pressure to sense temperature changes. An inner metal core absorbs the gas at low temperatures and releases it when it gets hot, filling the tube and closing a switch; the Systern-Donor system- no… no that's not what it was called…" The Son of Hephaestus snapped his fingers a few times. "What was its name… oh- The Systron-Donner! Yes! That's what it was!"

"Maybe I'm missing something," Jason interrupted, "but what does salt have to do with gas?"

"Absolutely nothing." Leo answered with a grin. "Using the gas system wouldn't work for the Argo because of natural pressure changes with altitude. But it got me thinking- what if it wasn't a gas, but a current in the metal filament? Pass a current from the filament to the tube, ground the tube to the hull and bam!" Leo clapped his hands together. "You've got a warning circuit. Of course, it needs to be able to turn on and off according to temperatures. What good is a fire detection system that can't detect a fire?"

As interesting as the electricity lesson was, Jason still wasn't seeing how this related to Leo's midnight excursion. He opened his mouth to say as much but Leo held up a hand to stall the question.

"I'm getting to the salt." The hispanic said, almost as if he could read the Son of Jupiter's mind. "After experimenting with some various concoctions, I found out that a mixture of eutectic salt would insulate the filament from the tube at cool temperatures, and provide a low enough resistance when heated for current to pass at high temperatures."

"Eutectic?" The foreign word tasted strange on Jason's tongue.

Leo nodded, smile growing wider at the prompting for more information. "Basically, you melt table salt and clay and mix the two together. When it solidifies, you roll the resulting concoction into small beads- a tenth of the size of a pea- and stuff them into the tube between the wall and the filament! Then presto manifesto, abra kadabra- we have ourselves a foolproof fire alarm!"

Jason shook his head in amazement: leave it to Leo Valdez to find a way to use salt in his machines. The hispanic could probably make a catapult with nothing but a handful of wires, a bottle cap, and an old sock.

"Fine," The Son of Jupiter conceded. "I won't tell Chiron. But you'll have to clean up this mess." He gestured to the flour and the broken shelf.

Leo gave a mock salute. "Yes, sir, Superman, sir."

Then the full explanation of how Leo planned to use the salt registered and Jason pursed his lips. "Where are you going to get the clay?"

Leo started guiltily, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Uh, well…"

"You _were_ the one who raided the arts supplies!" The Son of Jupiter realized.

"I will neither confirm nor deny it." The hispanic said, raising his chin defiantly.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "So if I head over to Bunker Nine right now I won't find a few bags of crafting clay sitting in a corner somewhere?"

"Not if I get there first." The mechanic mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Leo opened his mouth to respond, but Jason continued before the hispanic could get a word out. "Now, I really should go tell Chiron about this breach of camp rules…"

"...but?" Leo prompted, wringing his hands nervously.

"But, if someone were to offer to do my laundry for a month-"

"A week." The Son of Hephaestus interrupted.

"Two weeks."

"One." Leo winced as his own words came out unusually harsh. His eyes dropped from Jason's and his shoulders drooped.

In that moment, Leo didn't look like the clever, cocky Son of Hephaestus. He just looked like any exhausted teen with too much homework. It wasn't right, Jason thought, for Leo to not be smiling and joking and laughing. The hispanic wasn't supposed to look so defeated.

Leo rubbed his forehead. "We're only barely on schedule with the Argo's construction. I don't have time to-"

"Alright, alright." Jason cut him off, placing a hand on the smaller boys shoulder. He offered up a smile. "One week. But I also get half of your dessert for that same time period."

The ghost of a smirk cracked the mechanics lips. "Heh, deal."

Leaving the Son of Hephaestus to his cleaning duty, Jason made his way back to the ring of cabins. Thanks to the detour, he was the last to return to the central fire pit. Will raised an eyebrow as the Son of Jupiter sauntered up to the flames.

"Find anything?" He asked.

"Yes, actually." Jason answer drew the attention of the other four demigods. Slowly, he drew out the crumpled candy wrapper from his pocket, tossing it into the fire. "Don't forget to make sure your cabinmates clean up after themselves."

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Hopefully I'll be able to post more frequently now that summer is here.**_

 _ **Final Things:**_

 _ **First, to Ensis96: Haha, perhaps ;) Nyssa was never one to shy away from curse words. And yeah, even mechanics sometimes forget that clocks break as easily as any other machine.**_

 _ **Next, to whycan'tIfindanamethatfits: Glad you enjoyed these so far! I hope you continue to have fun reading :) Thanks for your reviews!**_

 _ **To HardlyDone: I know- Leo needs more fluffy friend moments ;)**_

 _ **To Sjmun: I wish I could make these longer- but I'm not the greatest one-shot writer. Gotta build up the skill somehow! Hopefully these will get longer as I get better at writing :) Thanks for reviewing!**_

 _ **To Guest (Ch.6): Me too! Though I have a feeling she wont apologize for a long while yet.**_

 _ **Thanks to everyone whose supported my fanfiction stories! Y'all are awesome!**_

 _ **Have a great Memorial Day!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	8. Entry 8: Coffee and Compressors 1

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Now that I'm back in school the ideas for more of these chapters are flowing- yay! Honestly I love learning about the mechanics behind flight, but self-teaching via online is so not my style :P Hence, why it took so long for me to post an update.**_

 _ **That being said this is going to be another two-parter. Started writing it with the character interactions in mind and finally found an appropriate mechanical aspect to tie in with it! But it was so long that I was encouraged to split it in twain. The second half should be out by the end of the week/weekend at the latest so look for it then :)**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: SupremeCommanderOfTheArgoII, RadioDog77, NozomiAraya, and Baron1674 for favoriting this story :)**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: Melei, KrazyKittyKat3, HardlyDone, HaloEssence111, FierySapphire, Fantasysword92375, EricaEEE, ElementaryMonocole, and DWGolondor for following along with this work!**_

 _ **Please enjoy the 8th installment of Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry #8: Coffee and Compressors**

Leo was not a morning person. He was very much so the stay-up-all-night- _until_ -morning person. But early wake ups he just could not seem to do.

The Son of Hephaestus had tried to go to bed at a reasonable hour (11:45 was reasonable, despite what his bunk mates seemed to think), he'd honestly tried. And yet he couldn't fall asleep. Leo found himself staring up at the bed above his own, thoughts and ideas rolling a million miles an hour through his head and fingers itching to write them down: because he knew if he didn't put something down _now_ then he would forget it again in ten minutes.

Nyssa has all but forced him into a bed after the third time she'd caught him getting up to sneak off to the lower workshop in their cabin. Saying, in no uncertain terms, that if he were to leave his bed again before the sun rose she would get Clovis to knock him out for a full day. And that was a delay he could not afford right now; so stay in bed he did.

All of which culminated in the very tired, and very disheveled looking Hispanic that stumbled to the dining pavilion table the next morning. His hands automatically grabbed a plate and started shoveling food onto it.

"Leo?"

The Son of Hephaestus frowned at the familiar voice. Leo? That was his name, wasn't it? Oh- someone was trying to talk to him. Yeah. That would make sense as to why someone would say his name.

"Earth to Leo? Dude, you look awful."

Ah. It was Jason.

"Nah man," the words were leaving his lips before his mind had time to process them. "I make awful look _good_. You've never seen someone make looking bad so attractive."

Jason snorted. "Well, if you're cracking jokes this early in the morning you must be fine."

"Hey guys! What's- oh my… Leo, are you okay?"

Another voice. Slightly less gruff. Piper, his mind supplied after a long moment in which Leo simply peered at the new arrival with a pinched brow.

"...Leo?" Piper cleared her throat. "You're uh, staring. I don't have something on my face, do I?" She turned suddenly to Jason, a slight note of panic entering her tone. "I swear if the others put glitter on my face overnight-"

"Chill Pipes, you're fine. Beautiful as always." Leo interrupted, popping an overly juicy grape into his mouth. "My brain is still starting up, that's all." He twirled his finger in a circle off to the side of his head before pulling some more grapes from the platter at the table along with two pieces of crispy bacon.

Piper made a face at the meat selection, reaching for the toast and jam. "I don't think I'll ever understand everyone's fascination with bacon."

Jason, who was coincidentally mid bite of his own strip of pork, pointed said food at Piper. "Hey, just because you don't like meat doesn't mean you can just go around insulting bacon."

"Bacon is a gift from the gods." Leo proclaimed, holding up one of the pieces as if he were saluting with a sword. "We mere mortals are blessed to have been allowed to taste its holy deliciousness, and savor its greasy glory."

"See?" Piper gestured in the Hispanic's direction. "If someone ever wanted to capture you two, all they'd need is a fresh plate of bacon."

"And we'd go willingly." Leo smirked, chomping on the food and speaking while he chewed. "I mean, have you _smelled_ this stuff?" And to demonstrate, he took an exaggerated sniff, filling his nostrils with the mouth-watering smell of bacon and… something else.

Leo frowned, sniffing again.

It was an earthy scent, but not in a bad way. Nutty, with hints of warm caramel. The mechanic quickly deduced that the smell was coming from the mug situated just next to Piper's plate, and he leaned over slightly to get a better look at the dark, swirling substance within.

"Uh, Leo… what are you doing?"

In lieu of answering Jason, Leo pointed to the ceramic mug. "What's that?"

Piper glanced down at the drink and back up. "My coffee? What about it?"

"It smells really good! Where'd you get it?"

The Daughter of Aphrodite blinked at him a few times, spring green eyes portraying her confusion. "Up at the drink table. Where it is every day, next to the tea." A realization overtook her features before she asked. "Have you seriously never had coffee before?"

Leo shrugged. "Nah, I always thought that was one of those grown-up drinks. Like beer."

"No, it's- well, here, do you want a taste?" She said, offering up the mug.

"Sure!"

The drink tasted nothing like it smelled. Leo very nearly spat it out, but if he did he would ruin Piper's perfectly clean shirt and he wouldn't allow himself to do that. So instead he pulled a face, swallowing the hot, bitter liquid.

"Gods that's nasty!" Leo shuddered, placing the drink as far away from him as he could. "How do you stomach that stuff? It tastes worse than hydraulic fluid!"

Piper laughed, the sound so light and carefree that Leo felt proud to have drawn it from her. "I couldn't at first." She admitted. "I hated the taste too, had to dump egregious amounts of sugar into my first dozen cups in order to drink it."

"Ah… well, that explains why you're so sweet."

The compliment brought a dusting of pink to the Daughter of Aphrodite's cheeks. A beautiful rose pink that even the prettiest of Aphrodite's children rarely had. Jason was _super_ lucky to be her girlfriend, the hispanic thought. And Leo was _not_ going to dwell on the stab of jealousy that punctured his heart because nope- it had no right being there. Jason and Piper were his friends, and they were happy together, and he was happy because they were happy, and _why_ was his sleep-addled brain making him think about these things now, of all times?

Leo thunked his head down on the table with a groan, hoping the dull throbbing would force his mind to focus on something else. "How do you guys do it?" He asked, voice muffled into the wooden surface. "Waking up early sucks."

He felt more than saw Jason shrug next to him. "Embrace the suck?"

"Pretty much." Piper agreed. There was a pause before she continued. "Let me… I have an idea, I'll be right back."

The sound of a scraping bench signaled her departure and Leo turned his face sideways so that Jason's face and upper torso was clearly skewed in his vision; the coarse wood grain scratching against his cheek in a somewhat soothing way. The Son of Juputer was regarding the Hispanic warily, a modicum of worry etched into his features.

"So what happened to you last night? Did you stay up to steal more twinkies from the kitchens?"

"I told you that only happened twice." Leo grumped. "But nah, it's worse: Nys made me go to bed early."

"And that's bad because..."

"It's thrown off my whole sleep schedule!" The hispanic picked his head up, rubbing a hand down his face. "My internal body clock feels off and I can't well reach inside and reset it because it's an imaginary concept that has very real-world effects."

Oh good, now he was back to rambling. Only this time he was doing so aloud.

"Why didn't you just sneak out?" Leo raised an eyebrow to which Jason responded by rolling his eyes. "I know you have, like, a dozen ways to sneak out of the cabin past curfew. Why not wait until Nyssa fell asleep and then do what you needed to do."

"...Because _Nyssa_ told me to go to bed." The Son of Hephaestus answered seriously. He'd long since learned never to cross an angry, determined Nys.

Jason snorted. "What is she- your mom?"

Leo knew he didn't mean it that way. And from the obvious wince that stole across Jason's expression his friend knew he'd messed up. But it didn't stop the Hispanic's heart from twisting painfully.

"Leo, I didn't mean-"

"More like the worlds worst nanny." Leo said loudly, cutting off Jason's apology with a wave of his hand. "Honestly, she's more strict than Nanny McFee."

"You think what I did last night was strict?"

At the familiarly stern female voice Leo's shoulder hiked up to his ears defensively. He turned guiltily to see said powerhouse of brawn glaring at him with the intensity of the forge's fire. "N-Nys! Hey, we were _just_ talking about how awesome you were! How not even a nanny could hold a candle to you, right Jason?"

The Son of Jupiter just sent him a confused look. Leo could've happily smacked him.

"Fine." Nyssa huffed, "Next time I'll let you work yourself to death before dragging you out of the underworld to kill you myself."

"Aww, I knew you cared." Leo quipped as the older girl stalked away towards the far tables, where his other half-brothers and sisters were chatting lively.

Nyssa responded by holding her hand up in a gesture that would definitely have elicited a scolding from Chiron had the centaur been present.

Leo kept up the smile and wave until he was sure his cabinmate was out of earshot this time. Then he groaned, leaning his head back to stare at the top of the pavillion. "Gods, could this day get any worse? It's not even lunch for Zeus' sake and I'm already getting death threats."

"You're scared of her?" It was less of a question than a statement from his friend.

"Terrified." Leo confirmed sincerely. "Though to be fair, the worst she does is knock me out because, and I quote, she thinks I need to remind my body that closing my eyes was possible. So I like reminding us both that it happens because she cares. Once you know the kinds of insanely deadly weapons she can make with just a spoon, a ruler, and exactly three paperclips, you would be scared too. Trust me."

Jason seemed to not fully comprehend the level of fear he should be experiencing, seeing as he was smiling fondly at something, but Leo was too tired to properly explain the terror that was a mechanic with the tools and motivation for mayhem.

"Who are we supposed to be afraid of?"

Piper was back. And she had another white mug in her hands.

"Oh, just the most feared mechanic in all of Cabin Nine." Leo waved off the discussion, deciding to focus on the more pressing matter. "Why did you bring more of that nasty concoction and why are you now putting it down in front of me?"

With a roll of her eyes, Piper sat back down. "It's for you, because I don't want to sway your view of coffee just because you don't like the way I take mine. You can prepare coffee in different ways," she continued at Leo's silence. "Just because you don't like it one way doesn't mean you won't like it another so…"

She let the sentence hang, but Leo had gotten the gist. Try it, you might like it.

This time, the liquid inside was a lighter brown, not as dark as Piper's. Doubtful due to his first experience with coffee, but trusting his friends judgement, Leo cautiously picked up the mug and tipped some of the brew into his mouth. The bitterness was subtle, overshadowed by the sweet warmth in such a way that Leo barely noticed. It was more of a sharp aftertaste that somehow mixed well with the initial sugary sensation.

Leo took another sip, a deeper draft this time, finding the hot mixture surprisingly comforting in the cool morning air.

"I guess he likes it," Jason ventured, after Leo's third time tasting it without making a face.

"It's no bad." He confirmed. "Just… different."

Piper smiled at him. "It's more of an acquired taste. But once you get used to it it's almost as addicting as bacon."

The Hispanic snorted. "Uh-huh, sure."

By the time breakfast was done, he had finished the entire mug and was brimming with newfound energy. Hands itching to get back to the Bunker and work on something- anything, really, so long as he was moving. Actually, his whole body felt rather stagnant at the moment, save his foot which appeared to be trying to bore a hole in the concrete with how fast it was tapping.

"Well, it was great catching up with you guys." Leo said with a smile, and if his words seemed to exit his mouth faster than usual he didn't really notice. "But I've got places to be, people to pester, and a flying ship to build, so I'll catch you later."

He stood up so fast he nearly tripped over the bench, wobbling for a precarious moment before righting himself with a dramatic flair of hands out to either side of his body. "And he sticks the landing!" Leo announced proudly, laughing at his own joke before making his way out of the dining pavillion.

As he left, he caught the fading voice of Piper as she whispered to Jason, "I… think I may have just made a big mistake."

"It's just one cup of coffee." Jason replied casually. "What's the worst that can happen?"

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Final Things:**_

 _ **First, to OceanLover4712: First off, love your profile pic! And of course he would ;) That's just the kind of crazy genius he is! Thanks for your review!**_

 _ **Secondly, to KrazyKittyKat3: Of course you may have more Leo with a side of Leo :D Sorry it took so long for an update. I'm glad you enjoy his inventions- Leo is quite the mastermind (when he wants to be, of course). Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

 _ **Next, to Doomer222: Why thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to tell me :) Glad you enjoyed!**_

 _ **To SupremeCommanderOfTheArgoII: AHHHHH a new chapter! . Update was a bit long in coming but hopefully I will be able to devote more time to it once my other story has wrapped up :) Thanks for your enthusiastic review!**_

 _ **To CharneX: Here's that update! *cough* A month later *cough* Thanks for the review of chapter 1 :) Hope you continue to enjoy.**_

 _ **Lastly, to Baron1674: Thanks :) I'm glad you're enjoying these- I love these characters so much so I'm glad I'm representing them well. Thanks for reading and reviewing :D**_

 _ **As with all of my stories, please feel free to leave a review or comment, critique, or just tell me if something made you smile or laugh :) I enjoy getting feedback and seeing what you all thought of a chapter so don't be a stranger! (even if we all use usernames instead of real ones :P)**_

 _ **Until next time!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	9. Entry 9: Coffee and Compressors 2

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Back as promised! Part 2 of last chapter's cliffhanger is up!**_

 _ **Quick shoutout to EricaEEE for favoriting!**_

 _ **(Also I think I may have messed up on last chapters shoutouts- to be fixed promptly: aka by the end of the week)**_

 _ **Please enjoy the 9th installment of Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry #9: Coffee and Compressors**

The next five hours after breakfast passed in a blur.

Leo has a feeling that they'd actually made a lot of progress on the Argo II, but he couldn't really remember any of the precise details as to _what_ they'd done, exactly. Something about the internal structure… and he was ninety-three percent sure Nysa had mentioned something about an idea for weaponry.

Ninety-three percent because the other seven percent of his brain had been consumed with an idea for defensive plating along the bulwarks. The Son of Hephaestus imagined a line of shields lining the railings, large, circular Greek hoplon shields with designs of heroes on the side.

Nah, that would be too cheesy.

Then again…

"Hey, Leo?"

Shaking off the thought of hull-braced protection, Leo glanced to his left. The speaker was one of his half-siblings, a sandy-blond haired girl with belted black cargo pants and a camp t-shirt whoose orange sleeves had been cut off. Her hair was pulled back into a simple plait, a half-dozen hairbands on one wrist and a plain black timepiece on the other. A pair of safety glasses were propped on her temple and she had a splash of freckles across her nose.

Leo searched his mind for a name: Cabin Nine had the fourth most residents after Hermes, Aires, and Aphrodite. "How goes it," He smiled. "It's, uh, Diana right?"

"Daynah, actually," She corrected. "Everyone just calls me Day, or D, or 'hey you' so…" The corner of her mouth twitched up momentarily, but then she cleared her throat. "But, anyway, I was calibrating the engine tachometer a while ago and I noticed something was…. Off."

"Off?" Leo clarified. "Like, missing?"

"Not exactly. Well, technically speaking yes. But it's not a component."

Leo frowned. "Explain."

"In order to obtain flight, you have to overcome gravity, and in order to overcome gravity, you need a certain amount of power from the engines." Daynah said, moving her hands as she talked. "When I went to calibrate the engine tachometer, I noticed that the power is missing."

"Hmm...continue explaining." Leo et his eyes shift to observe where the engines were mounted to the lower side of the hull squinting at the turbine fans as if he could somehow physically see RPM indications.

"You and Jake calculated that it would take 127,900 pounds of thrust to achieve liftoff. But the readings I received were maxing out at 122,600."

Leo's focus snapped back to his half-sibling. "What? But those engines should be producing more than enough power. Are you sure the instrument is reading right?"

Daynah shrugged. "I replaced it twice just to be sure. Maybe your math is off? No offense meant," she hurried to add. "I know those kinds of calculations can be tricky- one missed detail can skew the numbers."

She made a good point. One Leo could hardly argue with.

"It's possible." The Hispanic mused. "I'll take a look again, just in case. Hold off on the calibration for now."

It took Leo half an hour to figure out why the numbers were off. They'd made the nozzles too small. The restricted orifice was affecting mass flow rate and reducing the overall output of the engine. The only problem was there was no way to increase the size of the nozzles with the current engine design.

The Son of Hephaestus attacked the problem with enthusiasm, pulling out the original design and a clean sheet of drawing paper. Somehow he had to find a way to come up with the missing 5,300 pounds of thrust: he'd completed harder tasks.

Numbers soon covered a half dozen pages, with more of the equations crossed out or scribbled over than not. Leo felt the start of a small headache after page seven was crumpled up and tossed into the waste bin. He was decent at math, certainly no Einstein, but capable; so _why_ were the numbers refusing to make sense?

He kept at it doggedly, another hour passing before a solution finally presented itself. It was almost time for the afternoon lunch break but Leo couldn't stop now. Not with his head pounding with designs and ideas. The drafting table light blinked to life, backlighting the thin blueprint paper. Leo began blocking in the views, drawing heavy guidelines before starting to sketch the details.

He couldn't get them down fast enough, the dimensions practically bursting from his mind onto the page- Or maybe that was just a misinterpretation of his killer headache.

Leo set down the pencil, reaching a hand up to massage his temple. _Dios_ but his head _hurt_. The minor nuisance had since evolved into a monstrous migraine. And once he noticed it, Leo realized just how _tired_ his body felt. The hispanic sagged over the drafting table with a groan, trying to will away this sudden lack of energy.

He was feeling fine just an hour ago! And now he felt worse then when he woke up that morning.

"You look rough."

"So everyone keeps telling me." Leo grumped, recalling his conversation with Piper and Jason. "What can I do you for, Jake?"

Jake Mason slid into the stool next to him, leaning against the table. "Just checking in. You've been pretty all over the place today. I also brought you this." He dangled a small bottle of aspirin above the table. "Nys said you drank an entire cup of coffee this morning?"

"Never again." Leo muttered, grabbing at the medicine bottle.

"Ha ha- yeah, I've been there too. What's this?" Jake's eyes lighted upon the drawing on the table, a curious hand reaching out to snatch the blueprint off of the drafting table.

"Hmm? Oh, it's the new engine design." _I think_ , Leo added silently. He was still groggy from the caffeine crash. "The centrifugal compressor we have now won't produce the thrust necessary for sustained flight. It's my fault for not realizing the nozzles wouldn't fit, should've done the calculations with a smaller mass flow rate, but I thought… are you even listening to me?"

Because it was very clear that the former head counselor of Cabin Nine was, in fact, _not_ paying attention to what Leo was saying. Jake was staring at the rough, hand-drawn sketch Leo had scratched out during his caffeine high, a pinch between his brows as his eyes jumped from one section of the draft to another.

It was another long moment before he spoke. "This is… an _axial_ compressor? But then, why do the blades look like they've been dented along the length of their center?"

Leo moved to stand over Jake's shoulder, peering at his own design with a frown. Why _had_ he changed the blade design? There was a reason, he knew there had to be. Chocolate eyes landed on a hastily scribbled note that for all the world looked like a toddler had tried to draw a worm. Oh! Right. That was why.

"To help it fly stalled."

Jason finally looked up from the drawing, only to shoot a very surprised look Leo's way. "Uh, isn't a stall when you _lose_ lift over an airfoil? Why would you want to _fly_ in that condition?"

Leo scratched the back of his head. "Well, yes and no- turbine stalls are when they no longer pull air through the engine; that's why the blades are angled in the first place. If the air stagnates, then the engine will backfire. The channels- those dents- are to ensure it wont."

"I…. don't get it." Jake admitted, after a moment of silence.

"Think of it like this," Leo grabbed a second sheet of paper, folding it as he spoke. "The turbine blades are the spokes of a windmill: When air moves over them, they turn. No air means no movement."

He attached the hastily constructed craft to a spare pencil with a thumbtack; finishing the windmill. "Now what if you could force air where there wasn't a breeze?" Leo blew against the fold of paper, sending the contraption spinning. "No more worries about stalling due to lack of wind! And, as a bonus, you can use it to increase engine power output."

The former head counselor nodded in understanding. "That's a great idea in theory, but how are we supposed to make it happen in reality?"

The Hispanic moved back to Jake's side, pointing to a section of the schematic, "That's why this nozzle is here- to take bleed air and force it through the turbine blade channels. The channels, in turn, force the turbine to move, producing compressor bleed air. The bleed air runs back though the nozzle and voila! You've got a self-generating system. Once it's spooled up it won't stop until it's shut down!"

Jake was quiet for a long time, staring at the design with new insight.

Leo fidgeted in the silence, his caffeine-starved mind roaming. There was something wrong with his idea. That must be why Mason hadn't said anything. The materials were too heavy, or he'd miscalculated the pressure ratios, or maybe-

"It's brilliant."

Leo's hands stilled momentarily. "Huh?"

Jake rolled up the blueprint. "Leo, this is amazing. You've found a way to turbo-boost a turbine engine! That- I didn't think that was even _possible_."

"Oh." The Hispanic's voice was an exhale. So then… his design… worked? In theory, at least. Leo shook himself from the relieved stupor. "That's, uh, good. Great- actually! I'll finish drafting the details tonight and we can get working on it tomorrow." His head throbbed again. "But first, where'd you put that aspirin?"

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **No Final things today :_( since no one reviewed between Wednesday and now. But thank you to all who continue to read and enjoy :) I love seeing the view counter skyrocket on days when I publish, meaning at least a handful of you all are enjoying this. If you do like something feel free to share in the comment box below- reading what you thought of a chapter makes my day all the more brighter :D**_

 _ **I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend!**_

 _ **Until next time!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	10. Entry 10: Going Crazy

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **HAPPY NEW YEAR!**_

 _ **Yes this is about a week past due for that celebratory comment. But nonetheless... Welcome to the first update of the new decade! I will be updating my profile with a rough posting schedule for not only this story, but for my other stories that have been on hiatus for far FAR too long.**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: MilkandCheez, Anaklusmos101, samm10, and JackReaper28 for adding this story to your list of favorites!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: EricaEEE, ElementaryMonocole, DWGolondor, and Anaklusmos101 for joining the following :D**_

 _ **Please enjoy the 10th (double digits! Wooo) of Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry #10: Going Crazy**

The time was finally here.

Leo himself couldn't believe the day had actually come. They'd done it. The Argo II was fully operational. At least the main systems were. There was still a small handful of minor subsystems that needed tweaking, but overall, the ship was ready.

It was Leo himself who wasn't.

Annabeth had made it clear that the rescue group was to leave as soon as the Argo II could get airborne. And- somehow- Leo had been cosen as part of said group. As the Head Counselor of Cabin Nine, and the Argo II's main mechanic, he would be tagging along with Jason, Piper, and the Daughter of Athena herself. Leo wasn't quite sure how Jason and Piper had been roped into the whole thing, but he could guess it had something to do with the big prophecy of seven, or whatever it was called. Jason and Piper he could see as playing key roles in a fated apocalyptic poem- Jason with his powers of lightning and air, and Piper with her ability to charmspeak the very earth itself- but him?

Leo was just the repair boy. And a lousy one at that, seeing as it had been nearly four months and he _still_ hadn't managed to get Festus operational again. The hispanic's heart twisted at the truth of his thoughts. He was probably only included so he could fly the others from Point A to Point B and fix the ship when things inevitably went wrong.

Which was fine, he told himself. He wanted to help his friends in any way he could. But he couldn't stop the niggling feeling that he was taking up one of the seven slots that could be filled with someone more qualified.

The Son of Hephaestus sighed, running a hand through his hair as he opened the door to Bunker Nine.

For once, he wasn't the first one there.

Leo pulled up short at seeing his youngest half-sibling bent over a drafting table, deep brown eyes skimming a set of schematics. There was a furrow to Harley's brow as his eyes jumped between two pages of- Leo craned his head as he walked up- what looked to be electrical wiring diagrams. The kid's messy hair was complimented by faint bags under his focused gaze, fingers drumming the table as he traced a wire with his other hand.

"You know, if you start skipping breakfast too, we'll have to team up against Nyssa." Leo quipped as he approached. "She'll still probably win but we'll have a fighting chance, at least."

"Leo!" Harley turned around so fast Leo was surprised he didn't get whiplash. The younger demigod's motion sent the thin pages fluttering to the ground.

Harley's eyes darted back over to the drawings with what Leo could only describe as panic (which didn't really make sense, so the hispanic must've misinterpreted there), dropping to the floor and hastily scooping the stray pages into a pile.

Leo reached down to help, frowning as he saw the design layout. In his peripherals, he saw Harley freeze.

"You're… are these Nyssa's weapon designs?" The hispanic wondered aloud, casting his own glance over the paper.

"Uh… y-yeah." Harley confirmed, letting out a breath as he rolled up the other pages. "I, um, just wanted to... check the electrical layout because I noticed someone had swapped around some diodes in- in another component."

Leo didn't miss the stumble in Harley's words, and he knew well and good why it was there. "She doesn't know you're looking at them, does she?" At the kids shake of the head, Leo smiled gently, offering him the stray sheet. "Just make sure she knows what you're doing. I know some of our half-siblings can be a bit… overzealous when it comes to their personal projects."

Harley nodded his head, gaze ducked away from his Cabin Leader as he took the document back. "R-right. I'll be sure to ask next time."

"Good. Now go put these back before she comes in and rips _both_ of our heads off for skipping the most important meal of the day." Leo winked to let his younger sibling know he was joking. Well, partially joking, at any rate.

Leo busied himself at the control console while hs fellow demigods slowly filtered into the Bunker. The others went about their way, double checking the test equipment and making final adjustments to the Argo II before the official run up. Jake was the last to arrive, stumbling into the workshop with a breathy apology. His hair was windswept, as if he'd run most of the distance from camp to the Bunker.

"Ran into some Aires kids on their way to the arena." He offered in explanation as he reached the control panel. "Couldn't shake 'em for a good five or so minutes."

Leo looked over with concern. "Did they hurt you?"

"Did you hurt _them_?" Nyssa asked, casting an appraising gaze over the former Cabin Head for signs of an altercation.

"Nothing so dramatic." Jake waved off their worries with an easygoing grin. "They called me a nerd and said we've been wasting our time with our stupid machines, and yadda yadda yadda- typical Aires taunts. They didn't have any original material, which was kind of disappointing- back in my day they could be pretty creative with their bullying. I remember they tried to shove Percy's head into a toilet on his first day."

"They tried to shove the Son of _Poseidon's_ head into a bowl of water?" Harley snorted, fingers flying over the console as he prepped the controls for the test.

"Yeah, not so smart. Then again- we are talking about the Aires kids here. All brawn, no brain."

Leo tuned out the rest of the conversation as Nyssa made a snarky comment that sent them all laughing. He was much more concerned with the fact that Jake had been confronted by the meatheads at all. Sure, the children of the war god were jerks, bullies in every sense of the word; and they naturally clashed with the children of Hephaestus (it was the whole "jocks v. nerds" thing from high-school all over again). There were more than a handful of incidents a week between the two cabins, but normally they only preyed on the younger or newer campers; Jake was a senior demigod, one of the oldest in Camp Half-Blood along with Annabeth and a few others. If even he wasn't safe from their taunts anymore...

Leo would have to have a talk with their Cabin Leader later, try and find a way to end the harassment. They had too many things to worry about already without adding camp bullies to the list.

Things like the first, fully operational test run of the Argo II.

"Alright ladies and demi-men!" He announced over the loudspeaker. "It's time for the Argo II to go on air!"

Jake sniggered from behind him. "That was, by far, your corniest joke to date."

"Alright!" Leo pumped his fist into the air. "New record!" But his cheer was quickly overshadowed by the seriousness of their task. The hispanic Son of Hephaestus moved to the center console, taking a breath as he positioned his hands over the buttons and knobs. He took a deep breath, and cast one last look between Jake and Nyssa, the former shooting a double finger guns his way.

It was time to see what his baby could do.

Like a concert pianist performing Behtoven, Leo's fingers danced over the control panel. The Argo II whirred to life a moment later, the engine purring smoothly like a newborn kitten. Leo glanced at the oil temperature and pressure gauge, watching with Harley as the instruments slowly rose to the proper indications. A few minutes later, the youngest demigod flashed Leo a smile and a thumbs up.

"All readings in the green." He reported.

Leo nodded, doing his best to curb his rising enthusiasm. "So far so good. Let's get the rest of her up and running."

He tapped out a series of commands on the X-box controller, hearing and feeling the thrum of the pistons and actuators respond as the oars rose. Swiveling the joystick, they all observed the reactive movements of the stabilizers as the paddles rose, fell, and twisted as directed.

This time Leo couldn't keep the smile from his face. It was working. It was _actually_ working. From the similar sounds of excitement coming from his half-siblings, Leo wasn't the only one feeding off of the successful aura in the Bunker.

Without hesitation, Leo turned on the final few switches to activate the redundancy backup system: a system whose job was to take over the function of any major component that failed. The engine's responded in kind to the added system load, the whine of the turbine increasing in pitch as lights flickered to life on the control panel.

"Yeah baby!" Jake shouted from behind him, the grin evident in his voice. "Einstein eat your heart out!"

Leo laughed, feeling his eyes go moist with joy. His chest swelled with pride as he looked over the faces of his celebrating cabinmates. All of their hard work, all of the time and effort forced into this project for nearly a third of the year, and now it had finally paid off. Nyssa nodded in approval ad Harley flung himself at Leo, crushing the hispanics spine in a tight hug. Leo returned the embrace as the infectious feeling of accomplishment washed over the Bunker inhabitants. He half expected Jake to start up some kind of chant (probably one for a speech from their Cabin Head as this was the opportune moment for one) but before the former Head Counselor could speak, another sound reached Leo's ears.

It was faint over the celebrations, and no one else was paying much attention, but Leo would know that sound anywhere.

The clicks and creaks of a morse code language only he could understand.

Leo's breath hitched in his chest, Harley glancing up at him in confusion but Leo's gaze had snapped over to stare at the masthead. He… he hadn't imagined it… had he? There was another, slightly louder series of creaks, and the tears finally spilled over the hispanics eyelids.

Leo voice was a whisper of breath. "Festu-"

An earsplitting _roar_ reverberated from the mastheads mouth around the Bunker, forcing most of the demigods to slap hands over their ears.

Nyssa stared at the back of the dragon head with shock. "It's alive?" She breathed in disbelief.

"He's _alive_." Leo felt a genuine smile cross his lips for the first time in months. His feet carried him in bounding steps over to the living animatronic. "He came _back!_ Festus!"

He had just reached the bow of the ship when the masthead swiveled around, red polycarbonate eyes glowing like hot coals. Leo's heart soared- then skipped a beat as the dragon opened it's maw and loosed a jet of white hot flames at the demigod. The heat rolled over the fireproof hispanic, causing his cabinmates to shout his name in surprise and fear.

Leo stumbled out of the fire's path, coughing slightly at the smoke rolling off of the flames.

"Turn it off!"

"DON'T YOU _DARE!_ " Leo roared, the tone of his yell burning with such intensity freezing everyone in their tracks. He had no idea who had made the suggestion, and frankly, he didn't care. His dragon was _back_. Festus was alive again, after _months_ of unsuccessful startups. If they turned him off now… who knew if he would ever start back up again.

"Festus, buddy." Leo turned his attention back to the dragon, making a placating motion with his hands. "It's just me, calm down."

At the sound of the mechanics voice, Festus' assault dwindled until the only evidence of his unease was the smoke still curling from the edges of his mouth. A series of hesitant, curious clicks sounded from Festus' gears.

"Yeah," Leo answered, the tears brimming again. "It's me. I'm really here." He stepped up to the masthead, rubbing his hand up and down along the celestial bronze spine. "It's not a dream"

The last comment was more of an assurance to himself. For so long he'd imagined this moment, what it would be like to finally have his animatronic friend back. Emotions roiled in his gut, vying for attention, but there was only one that Leo found himself focusing on.

"I'm- I'm so sorry buddy." His voice was quiet as he leaned his head forward to rest it against Festus' cool metal snout. "I- I should've seen the lasers. Or kept a closer eye on your temperature gauge: If I had, I would've seen that Kihone was messing with your circuits and-" The tears that clouded his vision were ones borne of guilt. "And even after _everything_ I still couldn't… I thought I would never… that _you_ would never- I was beginning to lose hope that you would come back."

Festus's gears whirred in reassurance as the dragon nuzzled it's head against the demigod's shoulder.

"I'm so glad you're back." Leo sniffed, dashing a hand across his eyes. "I-I really am." He leaned back, staring into the vivacious eyes of the animatronic.

Then frowned at what he saw.

The red tinted plastic had numerous small white streaks cutting horizontally across the edges. They covered a good portion of the lower and upper half of the polycarbonate pieces, distorting the inner light that attempted to shine through.

Leo huffed out a laugh. "Well no wonder you were going a bit crazy there, buddy. You're eyes are all scratched up."

Crazing wasn't entirely uncommon in transparent plastics. The white streaks could form for a number of reasons but ultimately, they would reduce the clarity of the plastic, making it harder to see through them.

Festus claked a question and Leo smiled. "Don't worry," He said, pulling out a tube of mint toothpaste and a scrubbing pad. "I can clear that right up for you."

"Hey Leo!"

The hispanic started, having completely forgotten that his cabinmates were still here. He turned to see that Jake had dispersed most of the crowd, the older demigod tilting a head towards the control console.

"Mind if we keep going with the test?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah, um…" Leo glanced between the masthead and the helm torn between his duties as the project leader and his burning desire to fix his dragon..

Jake made the decision for him. "You do you," He smiled, "The rest if us can handle the testing."

Leo returned the expression gratefully. "Hear that Festus? You're getting me out of doing the boring stuff!"

Festus snorted, flames flickering out from his nose in a small burst.

Leo's focus zeroed in on his new task, completely ignoring the others as he scrubbed the toothpaste over the cracked areas. The fine particles in the dental hygiene paste buffed out the worst of the crazing without damaging the plastic. The Son of Hephaestus took his time with the job, putting as much care into the dragon animatronic that it deserved (which is to say, _all_ of the care Leo could muster). As he worked he talked softly to Festus, recounting everything that had transpired since their crash landing in King Midas' fortress.

Festus was a great listener too, interjecting here and there with a creak or a click, and even some whirrs of laughter when Leo told him how he'd accidentally burned a bridge.

"It wasn't on _purpose_." The hispanic bemoaned. "I just got a little excited." And even still he felt a twinge of shame. If he'd had better control over his powers that wouldn't have happened. Festus nudged the hispanic with his nose and Leo shook off the thought. "It all worked out in the end though. Oh- you should've _seen_ Piper! She was so cool! I didn't think it was possible to charmspeak the earth itself- and literally pull someone back from the brink of death just by telling them to wake up. I wonder if it'd work on the Hypnos kids…"

And he was rambling again. Leo gave his head a sharp shake, returning to his scrubbing. There was one particular scratch that was being incredibly stubborn-

"...Leo?"

The hispanic looked up to find Harley standing behind him, the kids hands nervously twisting in his shirt. Leo glanced around, realizing that almost everyone else had already left the Bunker- they must've been done with testing, and it was nearly time for lunch, after all. So why was Harley still here?

"Come now, if you skip two meals a day _I_ might have to tell on you to Nys." Leo smirked, expecting the light comment to ease some of the tension in the kid's shoulders. But they only hiked up further towards his ears, Harley's face reddening as he ducked his gaze.

Leo's smile fell and he stopped his ministrations. Festus whirred in displeasure, but even the animatronic could tell that something was up.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked, unable to think, for the life of him, why Harley would be looking almost _afraid_ to talk to him. Unless...

Harley was Cabin Nine's golden child, a prodigy of their father in every sense of the word. His ease in the shop could sometimes foster jealousy in their half-siblings, but the kid was never braggadocious about his skills. Always willing to help out wherever he could, and his genuine kindness only served to deescalate the envious looks. So then that could only mean…

"Are the Aires kids bothering you too?" Leo's expression darkened at the thought of those jocks picking on Harley.

But the younger demigod looked up quickly at that and shook his head. "No- no nothing like that!" He hurried to assure. "I just, um, need to talk to you..."

Leo blinked. Well that wasn't so bad-

"About Festus."

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Oooh, what does Harley know? It's not much of a cliffhanger but rest assured the next entry will cover the pre and post actions of this chapter, focusing on Harley of course.**_

 _ **I still have a well of ideas for this fanfiction, and after the next two chapters we'll probably be getting into some one shots of things that could've occurred DURING the travel to Camp Jupiter and even getting into the books themselves (eventually).**_

 _ **Final things:**_

 _ **First to MilkandCheez: Haha- yeah, Chapter 9 especially went heavy into the mechanical details. Maybe almost too much? But it'll be toned down a bit in this entry and the next. Glad you're enjoying it so far! Thanks for the review :)**_

 _ **Next, to Guest (Ch.9): I do see guest reviews so thank you for the encouragement! Sorry this update was so long in coming- I was hard focusing on completing my PJO/TKC crossover story and had been at a bit of a block with this chapter, which is why it took so long for me to post. I hope you manage to find this story again :) thanks for reading!**_

 _ **That's all for now! Again, I'll be updating my profile with a posting schedule, but for those too lazy (like me! :P) to look there expect the next chapter of Leo's Logbook by next week-ish.**_

 _ **And as always a penny for your thoughts? Leave me a comment or critique about this chapter down below- I value each and every review no matter how short or long :) they really make my day.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Ardoa88**_


	11. Entry 11: Diode Dilemma

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **The companion chapter to last week's update has arrived! I hope you all are ready ;) this one is all over the place with feels.**_

 _ **But first, shoutout to samm10 for following the story!**_

 _ **And now please enjoy the 11th entry in the ongoing fanfiction Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 _ **(Timeline Notes: Takes place before, during, and after the events of last chapter.)**_

 **Entry #11: Diode Dilema**

He knew he shouldn't do it. He really did.

But….

Harley knew how to fix it. And for a Son of Hephaestus, that was practically a get-out-of-jail-free card for breaking the rules. Harley gnawed on his lower lip as the internal struggle raged on, fingers twitching from inaction.

The curly-haired kid wasn't even supposed to _be_ in the backshops right now, but he'd run out of celestial bronze rivets and had to go hunting for more. As it turned out, the entire bunker was devoid of the parts he needed: they would have to machine more from scrap metal.

After a fruitless search, the only stone left unturned had been a small work desk in the back corner of the bunker. Leo's desk. The bench was littered with carefully rolled schematics and small components that the Head of Cabin Nine had been tinkering with. It was an unspoken rule not to mess with anything on the table- not because Leo would get mad ('Leo' and 'anger' were words that rarely crossed paths in a sentence), rather out of respect.

All of the Children of Hephaestus had side projects: little knick knacks and doodads that they would fabricate in their freetime. And everyone understood that messing with others projects was practically taboo. So while Harley did peruse through the desk drawers for the rivets, he didn't plan on touching the stuff on top of the table.

And yet here he was.

It wasn't even his _fault_ , really. If anyone was to blame it was Leo for leaving his stuff out in the open, where anyone could walk up and see. Harley was _hardly_ in the wrong for taking a peek at the inner workings of the decapitated animatronic. The dragons main panel was removed, exposing the internal wiring, a matching diagram propped open beside it with Leo's hand-written notes and scribbles in the margins.

The young demigod had glanced over the schematic with a curious eye; he knew Leo had been spending most- if not all- of his spare time trying to revive the dragon head, with little success. Now, though, Harley could see _why_ the attempted power ups were failing. And he could fix it.

A fix that was, in all honesty, laughably simple.

The diodes were backwards.

It was a common mistake, the component itself was incredibly small, and their proper orientation still confused many others in Cabin Nine. Harley could tell Leo knew how to install them, the issue lie with the schematic- it had been drawn up incorrectly. The young demigod's hands twitched towards the lifeless dragon head once again.

No one would know. He just had to flip a few diodes around. It would take him all of ten seconds to do. Only...

Harley's hands froze again, just before he disconnected the first diode. He felt like doing so would be a violation; solving the problem Leo had been obsessing over for the past few months. It felt like he would be stealing the personal satisfaction from his Cabin Leader.

The dragon masthead was the last piece of the major systems left to be installed, a backup hub of information that would connect directly to the control panel: providing backup fail safes for each critical area of the ship. If something on the ship failed during their quest, the dragon masthead alone would be able to furnish everything for a minimum of three hours.

It was literally the heart of the Argo II.

A loud clang from behind him had the young demigod turning guiltily, but the noise had originated from the opposite side of the bunker. Focus darted once more to the problem staring him in the face. Harley took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It was only a matter of time before Leo returned, if he was going to do it, it was now or never.

Steeling his resolve, Harley made his choice.

* * *

He almost blew it.

Harley breathed a sigh of relief as Leo left, the younger demigod clutching the wiring blueprints tight to his chest. That had been close… _way_ too close. He turned back to the drafting table, smoothing out the crinkled pages and staring down at the papers Leo _hadn't_ seen. The dragon masthead schematic stared right back, daring the young Son of Hephaestus to turn around, and call Leo back. To tell him.

Harley shook the thought away.

There was no guarantee that the diodes had been what was preventing Festus from coming back to life. Sure it had been _a_ problem. But solving one didn't mean there weren't others. There was still a large chance that the dragon would remain lifeless for the test run.

A part of Harley almost hoped that would be the case.

That part was firmly squashed.

Festus needed to return. If not only for its function as a viable autopilot for the Argo II, then for the sole fact that the dragon was Leo's favorite creation. Every day that drew them closer to completing the ship, Harley had seen the tension grow within his Cabin Leader. Nyssa and Jake had noticed too, but nothing they did seemed to ease the strain of Leo's nerves (not to mention the added stress ever since Chiron announced who would be going on the quest to this other _Roman_ camp). Having the animatronic alive again would undoubtedly provide a much needed bolster to the hispanic's spirits.

But if Festus did come back… it would mean that Harley's meddling was what had fixed him. Or, at least provided the last solution to the many problems with the animatronic. And if Leo found out, he'd… well, Harley wasn't entirely sure what he'd do: If Leo would see the action as a slight or as a helping hand.

Stifling a groan, Harley ran a hand through his hair. Gods he didn't like keeping secrets. He'd never been particularly good at lying either, it made his stomach churn just thinking about the half-truths he'd told Leo.

The door to the Bunker opened and his half-siblings began filing in. Harley rolled up the papers and placed them back into their respective bins next to the drafting table, making a decision as he did so.

Harley would tell Leo the truth. He swore he would, but only after the test run. And only _if_ the dragon masthead came back to life.

* * *

He still couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing.

It was alive.

Harley could only gape with his fellow demigods. The masthead's eyes glinted dangerously as Leo approached, and before anyone could react, the dragon loosed a wave of fire that rolled over their Cabin Leader.

"Leo!" Harley's panicked shout intermixed with those of his half-siblings, heart leaping into his throat- _No no no no, not like this! Not like Bekendorf!_

But when Leo stumbled out of the blazing inferno with only a splattering of char marks on his clothes, Harley sighed in relief, remembering that Leo wasn't like their previous Cabin Leader. Fire couldn't touch him.

Still, there was a call to shut the ship down, and the dragon along with it. Some ran to where the fireguard was stationed, snatching up the fire extinguishing bottles. Others unhooked the shields from the bulwark, moving cautiously towards the raging masthead.

"DON'T YOU _DARE!_ "

The command halted everyone in their tracks. Together, Cabin Nine watched as Leo quelled the dragons anger, talking softly to the masthead and stroking the celestial bronze snout. After a few moments Jake shooed off the others, telling them the excitement was over and that they still had a ship to get airborne. Harley remained rooted to the spot, heart hammering loudly in his ears as he watched the exchange between animatronic and mechanic.

Leo looked… so happy. He was smiling. _Genuinely_ smiling as he regarded the vivacious red polycarbonate eyes. And then-

He laughed.

The sound bubbled up from deep within his chest and forced its way out past the tears of joy Harley could see running tracks down his cheeks. The sound was light and cheery, almost desperately so; full of relief and contentment. In that moment the worries plaguing Leo seemed to slip into nothingness, the tension in his posture relaxing, and the bags under his eyes seeming to lessen (even though Harley knew that was a physical impossibility). It was the most lively he'd ever seen his Cabin Leader.

And all because Harley had flipped a few diodes around.

Harley bit his lip. He had to tell him. He'd promised. The young demigod's gut twisted again as he speculated what Leo's reaction would be. Would the hispanic be frustrated? Or angry? Or disappointed? Or-

"Harley?"

Harley started out of his stupor, looking to his left to see Jake watching him expectantly. "Sorry, what?"

"I said," The older blond's mouth quirked up in the corner. "You ready to finish the test? Gonna need a set of eyes on the instruments to make sure we don't overheat the engines."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I-I'm coming." Harley spared one last look in the direction of Leo before turning towards the control console.

Later.

He'd tell him later.

* * *

The Argo II was officially functional. The ship had flown- or, at least hovered- for over three quarters of an hour with all main systems operational, and no exceeded instrument ranges. His half-siblings were overjoyed at the success, calls for an early break for lunch as well as a ceremonious raid of the kitchen's snack pantry.

Nyssa had suggested the latter option.

Even Jake didn't seem to care about the blatant breaking of rules, actually encouraging the heist as a way to provide food for the 'Biggest cabin party in the history of Camp Half-Blood!' that they would be holding tonight after curfew. As the celebratory mood began to wane, Jake moved to shut down the ship, pausing for a moment at the controls to send a glance towards the bow. Harley's gaze followed.

Completely oblivious to his surroundings, Leo continued to polish the masthead, mouth moving rapidly as he talked, hands occasionally pausing to make a gesture or mimic something in the air.

With a fond smile, Jake flipped the switches to the main power bus, leaving the backup system on for the time being. The older demigod caught Harley's eye and winked. "We'll come back and get him before the party." He assured with a smile.

Harley returned the expression, but his lips were pulled tight.

When his half-siblings left for lunch, Harley hung back, making some excuse that he was going to wait until the engines had coasted down completely. It was only when the door to the Bunker swung shut behind the last of them that he made his way over to the bow where Leo remained blissfully ignorant.

Harley took a steadying breath. "Leo?"

The hispanic looked up, then cast his gaze around the hanger, a pinch between his brow as he realized that everyone was gone. Harley's hands fisted in the bottom of his shirt nervously. After a moment, Leo shrugged slightly, his confused gaze turning back to Harley before a smirk replaced it.

"Come now, if you skip two meals a day _I_ might have to tell on you to Nys."

Harley's shoulders hiked up, feeling his cheeks heat. He'd rather face Nyssa's wrath ten times over than reveal his interference to Leo. The older demigod still radiated unbound joy, and Harley feared what he had to say would take that away. But he'd sworn to tell the truth, and so he would.

Apparently Harley's silence had propogated for too long.

"What's wrong?" The smile had faded from Leo's face, replaced with an expression of concern. Leo seemed to come to his own form of reasoning for Harley's demeanor, because his expression darkened and he asked "Are the Aires kids bothering you too?"

Harley looked up at that, shaking his head quickly. "No- no nothing like that!" He hurried to assure. "I just, um, need to talk to you… about Festus."

Leo quirked his head to the side, brow creasing in confusion. "What about him?"

Harley twisted the toe of his shoe into the sturdy metal hull for a moment longer, mind ping-ponging between telling the truth or just fabricating some excuse and putting it off, before squaring his shoulders and meeting his Cabin Leader's gaze. Leo's eyebrows rose at the determined stare but said nothing, merely waiting for Harley to speak.

"His diodes were flipped."

"His…" Leo blinked. "What?" The hispanic's face turned to glance at the animatronic in question, as if he could see the circuitry behind the panel. "What makes you think that?"

Harley shook his head slightly. "Not- not _are_ flipped; they _were_ backwards. And I don't think, I know, because… because I changed them around the other day."

The younger demigod was watching his Cabin Leader carefully, trying to gauge his reaction. Leo's face was pinched in perplexity as he absorbed what his half-sibling had said. With his eyes glued to Leo's face, Harley saw the exact moment that the lights came on, and Leo's chocolate gaze widened in understanding.

"You…" His eyes returned from their observation of Festus to stare back down at Harley. " _You_ changed…"

Disbelief.

It was written all over his face, the older demigod's voice trailing off into silence. Leo's gaze went unfocused and he absently placed a hand on the neck of the metal dragon who had also gone quiet. Harley fidgeted in the void of noise, desperately trying to see through the older demigod's hazy mask of calm as he worked out the significance of Harley's actions.

"It happens to me all the time." Harley blurted, almost desperate to break the unnatural stillness in the air. His words stumbled over themselves in his rush to try and garner some reaction from his Cabin Leader who seemed to have slipped into a daze. "The label on the diodes is super small and there's nothing that explicitly says how it should be installed. Even on diagrams its almost counterintuitive with how the symbols are oriented. Whoever helped you draw up Festus' schematic must've mislabeled it, so the way you installed it was correct per the diagram but backwards in order for the electricity to flow-"

"Diagram?" Leo's gaze gained back some of their focus as they met Harley's eyes. "So then, earlier today… you said you were looking at Nyssa's weapons blueprints?"

Harley's cheeks burned at the accusation despite the lack of heat in Leo's tone, and he ducked his head in shame. "I- I was taking one last look over Festus' design. Making sure I hadn't missed a diode. When you startled me I accidentally knocked some of Nyssa's pages from the table to. I didn't even know if changing the diodes would solve the problem because Festus was already so busted up, I didn't think he would power on even then, but then he did and… I'm sorry."

His voice had been growing softer with each sentence, the last two words practically whispered. Leo didn't say anything for a long time, and when Harley dared to look back up, he almost wished he hadn't.

Leo's eyes had filled with tears again, only these were not of the same joyous nature as earlier.

These were ones of despondency. An emotion plastered all over his features. As he watched, one escaped, slipping down the hispanic's cheek. Festus clicked something softly and Leo jerked out of his stupor, blinking down at the younger demigod before turning his back to Harley and wiping a hand across his face.

Harley's heart twisted and he felt his own tears brimming in his eyes. He bit his lip hard to keep them from spilling over. _He_ was the one who had meddled in Leo's project. He had no right to cry now, especially since the look of betrayal and anguish that had flashed across his Cabin Leader's face just moments ago was all his fault.

"I'm sorry." He repeated the phrase, as if it would mend the rift he had just created. "Please don't be mad." The last phrase was spoken almost wordlessly, the phrase more of a prayer Harley was sending to the gods.

To his surprise, Leo spun back around at the apology, crouching to be level with the younger demigod. "No," He said, resting a hand on Harley's shoulders. "Don't apologize. I- I'm not mad."

Leo smiled. But it was strained, and didn't quite reach his red-rimmed eyes.

"I was just… surprised, that's all." The hispanic continued. "I didn't realize I had made a mistake in the circuitry." _One so simple_. His bitter expression seemed to add. "Thank you, Harley... for fixing Festus for me."

Harley's eyes widened at that. Because that wasn't what had happed at all, wasn't what he wanted Leo to think. "No I- I just fixed the one thing. You… you built him back from scratch. You fixed him up when we all thought it was pointless. _You_ were the one who fixed Festus, I… I just helped a bit at the end." His shoulders hiked up a bit. "And I'm sorry for not telling you first before messing with the circuits. I'm _really_ sorry."

Leo's smile had softened ever so slightly, and he ruffled Harley's hair. "There's no need to apologize. Now, why don't you go grab lunch with the others? There may not be many good sandwiches left if you don't hurry."

"What about you?"

The Head of Cabin Nine tilted his head back towards Festus. "I'm gonna finish up with this first, and then I'll be along."

Harley searched Leo's face for any signs that he was lying, but the older demigod's expression was once again a mask of controlled emotions. Harley agreed, if a little reluctantly- he still saw a hint of gloom shadowing Leo's face- and made his way to the gangplank. Before he descended from the ship, he remembered something, and turned back to the bow.

"Jake said we're gonna be holding a huge party tonight to celebrate! Are you… Will you be there?"

There was a pregnant pause before Leo answered. "That sounds like fun."

* * *

The party was indeed fun. And Harley wasn't sure about the biggest, but it was definitely the loudest celebration with Daynah procuring an amplifier and blasting music all through the night. Everyone was enjoying themselves, party games were in full swing and the snacks were stacked in abundance on one of the work tables.

Harley couldn't bring himself to join in on the festivities, however, his eyes frequently darting over towards the cabin door, foot bouncing nervously on the wooden floorboards. Leo had stayed behind at the hanger, per usual, when dinner arrived. And yet Harley still held out hope that their Cabin Leader would walk in fashionably late (and excessively past curfew). No one else seemed to notice his absence except Harley; even Nyssa and Jake were too fully emersed in the celebrations to realize that one crucial cabinmate was missing.

Harley did: and so Harley waited.

And waited.

But Leo never showed.

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **And of COURSE Leo's inferiority complex is gonna take a hard hit after that one. Not that Harley would be privy to such knowledge. Poor kid, he was just trying to help.**_

 _ **Final things:**_

 _ **To JackReaper28: First, thank you for your many reviews! I'm thoroughly glad you are enjoying the story and appreciate you taking the time to leave me your thoughts :) And yes, cliffhangers are the only way to keep readers coming back for more, haha. No cliffhanger this time, however. Just feels. I hope you continue to enjoy the story- thanks again!**_

 _ **That's all for now- my posting schedule is officially uploaded to my profile page so check that out for update times (and no, there is not a long list of spam stuff that you'll have to wade through, it's just the story list).**_

 _ **As always please leave me a comment or two... or three. Heck, why not four down below. I truly value your feedback and I love it when I see that someone has enjoyed my works (or thought I totally wrote someone OOC, call me out when that happens for sure).**_

 _ **Have a great Friday/Weekend/Holiday! Until next time :)**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	12. Entry 12: Problems Solved

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **A bit longer than two weeks, but I promise there is a very good reason for the delay. Aaaannd that's because...**_

 _ **There will be 2 chapters posted this week! (Possibly even within a day of each other depending on how quickly I can finish and edit the next chapter)**_

 _ **Yay!**_

 _ **I had to split it into 2 (actually 3, but I haven't started on the third) parts to tell this one coherently. There's a lot more character focus in the coming chapters and less of the mechanical aspects- shame, right? :P - so in order to get the proper feels I had to break it up a bit.**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: PoisonPen37, msw93, komododragon178, Silver Grae, kingoffire1, and draco 1221 for favoriting this story!**_

 _ **Shutouts to: thecgw, PoisonPen37, msw93, Silver Grae, and kingoffire1 for choosing to follow along with us on this crazy journey!**_

 _ **Please enjoy the 12th installment of Leo's Logbook.**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 _ **Authors Note: There are a few POV shifts in this one, hopefully it's easy enough to read.**_

 **Entry 12: Problems Solved**

"Too slow, man." Sherman quipped as he sidestepped Mark's sloppy sword swing, bringing his own weapon around in a disarming arc to knock the blade from his opponents hands. In the blink of an eye the dulled metal edge had snapped back up to the nape of Mark's neck, "And now you're dead. Gotta work on your move projection."

Mark growled in annoyance. "Give me a spear and I'll show you just how far I can project."

"Sorry, can't give a spear to a dead guy." But even though his words were teasing, Sherman lowered the sparring blade, kneeling to snatch the fallen sword and toss it back to his half-brother. "Let's go again, but this time, don't be so obvious with where you're gonna swing next."

Mark tsk-ed, gritting his teeth as he took up a stance.

Sherman readied his own blade, holding it light and easy in his left hand.

The two stared at each other for a moment longer, green eyes into blue, before Mark moved in an explosive barrage of blows. Sherman gave ground behind the powerful swings, deflecting each strike with ease and a hint of boredom. But training matches were part of the way to get better, and so he would partake, even if he was leaps and bounds better at swordplay than the younger demigod.

There was a moment when Mark overextended, stepping too far forward and unbalancing his stance. Sherman took the opening, stepping in close before his right hand snapped forwards, grabbing the hilt of Marks sword and twisting, allowing the flesh of his elbow to smack into the side of Marks head for good measure. His half-sibling crashed into the dirt with a grunt, the blow loosening his hold on the weapon as he fell.

Sherman, now with both blades, leveled one at Marks chest, holding back a disappointed sigh. "Aaand you're dead. Again."

Marks dark gaze boiled with rage, and Sherman's own eyes stayed locked with his opponents. Not letting down your guard, _especially_ when you think the fight is over, was rule one of fighting. A rule that counted twice if your opponent was a child of Ares, the god of war: they all hated losing.

After a long minute, Sherman saw the anger had become more of a simmer, and he dropped his guard, sticking one sword into the ground and offering the younger teen a hand up. Mark took it, grunting as he was pulled to his feet. A hand rubbed at where Sherman's blow had connected, and he worked his jaw a bit.

"Did you have to hit so hard? This is just a sparring match."

Sherman shrugged. "The pain will help you remember not to overextend again." The older demigod cast his gaze around the clearing, observing the other groups as they practiced. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow across the training field, the smell of Friday night pizza wafting across the air from the dining pavillion.

It was no surprise that, in any pair involving one of his half-siblings, the upper hand was always on the side of the children of Ares. Sherman felt a prideful smirk grace his lips. To be fair, the Hermes brats were a slippery bunch, so they put up a decent enough fight. But the same couldn't be said for the Apollo runts. They were more suited to archery than hand to hand combat, but with a war brewing on the horizon, every cabin was scheduled to undergo rigorous weapons training.

Or… almost every cabin.

A movement in his periphery drew Sherman's attention towards the ring of cabins, seeing a small figure making his way across the clearing towards the woods, precariously balancing a mess of machined parts in his arms. Mark noticed it too, the brunette stepping up besides his brother and scowling.

"Would you look at that." Mark shook his head. "It's not every day you see a dead man walking. You know, if the camp _was_ attacked, those forge brats would be the first to go."

Sherman raised a curious eyebrow. "Really? You don't think they'd hold out longer than the barbies?"

"At least the Aphrodite kids _attend_ training." Mark reasoned. "Even if they suck at it."

Sherman tilted his head in acknowledgement of the point.

"It's bullshit that they get out of sparring practice just because they're 'busy' building that crappy ship. It's been, what, half a year? And they're still not done? They're either lazing half the day away, or they're terrible at their job."

It wasn't that Sherman disagreed with Mark's logic, but there was nothing they could do about it- Chiron had indefinitely barred Cabin Nine from all camp activities until their little project was complete. Still, Sherman felt his lips twist into a grin as he turned to his half-brother.

"They can't come to training." He said casually, draping the blunted sword over his shoulder. "But that doesn't mean we can't help them practice their swordsmanship."

Mark's eyes narrowed slightly before understanding dawned, and a mirroring smile crested his features. "You're right." He said, tugging his own bade out of the earth. "I think it's time to go show them what they're missing out on."

* * *

For some reason, the days felt like they kept getting longer. Or maybe that was just because Leo had begun pulling all-nighters again. It hadn't even been intentional this time, but with Festus back up and running again (a fact the hispanic was still conflicted about, but ultimately overjoyed that his buddy was back) Leo had decided to add some additional sensors to the animatronic.

Naturally, his digression back into the practice of not sleeping had drawn Nyssa's attention. But to his surprise, the older girl had merely sighed; returning to the bunker with a cot after the third instance of her arriving in the morning only to find Leo passed out at a workstation.

Regardless, to Leo it seemed like the afternoons were dragging on. And not even in a good way where it felt like they were getting more done, just a lagging lethargy in the time after lunch that made everything slow.

Leo pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes, then arched his back, twisting from side to side as he tried to get some feeling back into his limbs. He cracked his neck, rolling it a bit with a wince before looking back down at the weapons systems schematic.

The weapons themselves were nearly completed, a set of gigantic crossbows flanking the main mast that could retract into the deck with the flip of a switch. Additionally, Jake had conferred with the Apollo kids to create a set of enlarged bolts that would explode on impact thanks to a mixture of flour and compressed air in a flint core of the bolts.

The bolt would shatter, releasing the flour- which, thanks to the pressurized container, would be a fine particulate dust- and when the flint broke, it would spark and ignite the dust cloud. It was brilliant! And also extremely difficult to manufacture without… well, blowing up the back of the bunker. Again.

Leo traced the eraser of his pencil across the diagram, stopping to tap thoughtfully at a particular section. The base of the mounted crossbows. The original design had been to let them remain fixed, allowing only a vertical change in aim. After playing with some ideas, Leo found that a simple set of planetary gears could allow them to rotate directionally without hindering the storing and reloading functions. They'd tested it successfully on the left crossbow and were waiting for the second set of gears to arrive from the cabin where Harley had been busy forging the delicate parts.

A frown tugged at Leo's lips as he took note of the time.

It should've been here by now.

Leo tried to quell his worries. The parts were fragile, and had to be machined perfectly in order to work. It was possible that Harley was just taking his time making it, the younger demigod was an artist when it came to metalworking, but they were all prone to making mistakes every now and again.

 _Some more often than others_ , Leo's thoughts whispered as his eyes were pulled towards the bow where Festus was currently powered down. Before he could continue down that path, he heard the door to the bunker swing open and shut, emitting one of his half-siblings. Leo glanced up hopefully, but it was only Daynah, the girl offering a quick smile and a half wave (the best she could with her hands laden with flour bags) before making her way over to Jake and the others at the far end of the bunker; where the crossbow bolt construction was well underway.

Leo worried his lower lip, debating whether or not he should run to the cabin to check on things. Then he shook his head. He'd already sent Nelson to do just that about an hour ago, there was no need to pressure Harley by having two people breathe down his neck about the progress of the part.

The bunker door opened again a few minutes later, and Leo saw none other than Nelson stumble across the threshold, arms full of metal pieces that glinted under the overhead lights. Leo smiled, getting up from his chair and walking to meet his half-sibling near the ships ramp. But as he got closer, the smile fell.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

He realized that the gear pieces were just that: in pieces. Not parts of a whole. And the way Nelson was moving… Leo thought he had just stumbled across the threshold because not many had gotten accustomed to the 'step up' warning. But now he could see it was more of a pronounced limp, the other demigod favoring his left leg as he walked- or, more accurately, shuffled- towards Leo.

The hispanic stepped up quickly, reaching out an arm to help steady his half-brother. "What happened?"

Nelson's eyes dropped to the parts in his hands, cheeks coloring in shame. "Sorry, Leo, I- I broke the part. I didn't mean to, but… I'm sorry."

Leo could see that for himself, but for once the machine hadn't been his primary concern. "Parts can be fixed," He said dismissively, "I meant what happened to _you_? Are you okay?"

The answer to that was clearly a 'no'. Now that they were next to each other, Leo could see the beginnings of a thick bruise forming on Nelson's upper cheek, the skin had even been split slightly, a small well of blood pooling around the break. Leo took the parts, setting them down before gently leading his cabinmate over to a chair.

"It was Sherman and his goons." Nelson explained as he stumbled towards the chair with his Cabin Leaders help. "They've been bugging a few of us about skipping sparring practices, but I guess this time they were just fed up."

Leo searched his mind but drew up a blank at the name: obviously whoever did this was well known to his cabinmates. He frowned. "Chiron excluded us from those to finish the ship."

"I know." Nelson grimaced massaging the side of his chest. "And they did too, said he was going soft on us. Said we would just have to learn to fight on our own time, and that they wanted to help us toughen up. Said it was their job as the foremost experts of Cabin Five to ensure we were battle ready."

Cabin Five.

Ares.

"They gave me a sword to 'defend' myself with." Nelson continued, using air quotes around the word.

Leo's eyes widened. "Wait- a _sword_! They came after you with weapons?"

"Dummy swords." Nelson clarified. "Must've been what they were practicing with today. But gods know I haven't touched a sword in months, so it wasn't much of a fight."

Leo's teeth grit in frustration. He recalled how just last week they'd bugged Jake enough to make him late for the fully operational test run. Name calling was one thing, but physical violence? That was another.

And Leo would be damned if he let that stand.

Nelson let out a low hiss as he shifted in the seat. Leo's attention immediately snapped back to his wounded half-sibling and he mentally smacked himself. Shoving a hand into the larger pocket of his toolbelt, he rummaged around before finding what he was looking for.

"I'm such an idiot," He chastized himself quietly, opening the ziplock of ambrosia and pulling out a piece. "Here."

Nelson took the offered god food, popping the slightly smushed square into his mouth. Within moments the forming bruise faded, and he sighed in relief. "That's better. Thanks."

"Do you need another?" Leo's supply was running a bit low, but he could easily restock it.

But Nelson shook his head in the negative. "I'll be good for now. Don't wanna risk eating too much."

Right. Because consuming too much of the godly medicine would kill them quicker than any Child of Ares could. Leo tucked the emergency stock away, looking back up only to find Nelson staring despondently at the broken gears.

"I'm really sorry." He said again. "It's gonna take hours to fix that and get it functional again. I should've been more careful."

"Hey, man, none of this sounds like your fault." Leo hurried to correct, placing a comforting hand on his half-brothers shoulder. "The blame's entirely on this Sherman guy, and it sounds like this isn't the first time he's messed with our cabinmates. Don't worry, we'll salvage what we can from the scraps and have Harley remake the rest; and after we get the piece installed I'll go talk to them about this."

Nelson regarded Leo for a long moment like he had grown a second head. Then he asked, "What kind of flowers do you want for your funeral?"

Leo blinked. "Uh… what?"

"Flowers." Nelson repeated, as if his request was perfectly normal. "You're gonna try and 'talk' with those meatheads, so we need to start planning your funeral now."

"Oh come on," Leo rolled his eyes with a light chuckle. "With my charming personality I'll be perfectly fine." _I hope_ , but he didn't vocalize his doubts, instead plastering a wide grin on his face. "Just you wait, this whole thing will blow over in no time."

* * *

Clarisse La Rue woke to the sound of someone knocking on the door to Cabin Five at seven o'clock in the morning.

On a _Saturday_.

With a grumble, the Head Counselor turned over in her bunk, hoping that whoever it was would quickly recall the crucial trait of self-preservation and just go away. Not only would that allow her to sleep in on one of the two days she was allowed to, but it might also save said person from getting their nose bashed in by a very cranky Daughter of Ares. There was blissful silence for another long minute, before the knocks returned; slightly hesitant this time, but noticeably louder.

A few of her half-siblings began to stir at the sound.

Huffing out a sigh, Clarisse swung her legs over the side, getting up and rubbing a hand over her eyes. If she let this go on long enough for the others to wake up, there would be bloodshed. It was at times like this when she hated being a Cabin Leader. Whichever idiot was outside banging away better be grateful to her for saving their ass from being kicked to the infirmary.

And if they weren't? Then Clarisse just might end up sending them there herself.

The aged wooden door creaked open with a violent tug, and the Daughter of Ares leaned against the doorframe. She was fully aware that her broad-shouldered, athletic build practically filled up the entire entryway, as hard brown eyes glared down at the person who'd so rudely interrupted her bedrest.

It was one of the new campers. One of the trio that had flown out of camp on the metal dragon. For the life of her, Clarisse couldn't remember his name, but she hardly expected to- the Daughter of Ares didn't acknowledge most of the runts who hadn't been in Camp Half-Blood for at least a year. There was no point in remembering the names of weaklings who couldn't even survive that long.

The kid had actually raised his hand to knock on the door for a third iteration, but at Clarisse's sudden appearance the appendage fell down to his side. He was a good head shorter than her, wearing a set of stained suspenders and a rumpled whte collared shirt. An almost comically big toolbelt hung from the kid's skinny waist, and a set of goggles draped from the nape of his tanned neck. A chocolate gaze traveled up the length of her form, the shorter demigod visibly swallowing at her imposing stance.

Clarisse almost smiled at that. But then she remembered why she was even staring at the runt and her annoyance returned in full force.

"What do you want, pipsqueak?"

Despite his open nervousness, the kid stood his ground, a determined light in his eyes as he stoically met her gaze. So the runt had grit, Clarisse could respect that. What he said next, however, threw the older demigod for a loop.

"I'd like to request an audience with your Cabin Leader."

Clarisse frowned down at the younger demigod. Did he… _not_ realize who she was? That he was _already_ speaking to the Head Counselor of Cabin Five? She took a moment to marvel at the fact that this pipsqueak of a camper had marched up the the _Ares_ cabin, rapped on the door (at _seven in the morning_ on a _Saturday_ ) and demanded to speak to the Head of the Cabin without even _knowing_ who they were or what they looked like.

Forget grit. This kid had a death wish.

Either that, or whatever he had to say was more important than his own health.

"Alright kid, let's talk." Clarisse obliged, pushing her way out of the cabin and forcing the runt to take a staggering step back.

His eyes widened slightly, filling with panic. "Wait, _you're_ -"

"Clarisse La Rue." Clarisse interrupted. "Head Counselor of Cabin Five and the person who's about ten seconds away from pulverizing your ass and going back to sleep if you don't spit it out."

"Oh I- I'm sorry I didn't realize you were the-"

"Five seconds."

The kids mouth shut with an audible 'clop' and he took a deep breath before opening it again, the determination once again returned to his eyes. "I want you to stop harassing my cabin."

Clarisse's own gaze narrowed in partial confusion and partial aggravation: _Who the_ hell _did this kid think he was commanding_ her _in how to run her Cabin?_ Based on his outfit, the Daughter of Ares could only assume the pipsqueak was one of Hephaestus' grease monkeys.

"I-I mean, not _you_ specifically." The words stumbled from the runts lips in a rush, the words themselves sounding placating. "But your cabin mates. At least until we've finished building the ship. We just need a few more weeks to finalize the weapons systems and then we'll be done and gone so you guys can go back to doing what you do best. All we need is a few weeks. That's it."

Now Clarisse really wished she knew who this kid was. The Head Counselor leaned back against the side of the cabin, folding her arms across her chest. "Look, pipsqueak-"

"My name's Leo-"

"I could care less what your name is." Clarisse interrupted, and while the kid's jaw ticked in annoyance, the taller girl actually did file the name away. "You've either got an immense amount of guts for a forge brat, or you're stupid beyond your years. My money's on the latter. So, here's what I'm gonna do: I'm gonna go inside, move my alarm back an hour, and _not_ kick your ass into next week- because I'm really not in the mood to fill out an incident report. And if you ever wake me up on a weekend again and ask me to do something dumb, it'll take more than a few repairs to fix you up. Got it? Good."

She pushed off the wall, turning back towards the door until she felt a hand wrap around her wrist, tugging her back with minimal force. Clarisse blinked down at the contact for a split second, before her murderous gaze refocused on the runt, voice dropping dangerously low. "You've got _half_ a second-"

"No." The grip actually tightened slightly, and the Daughter of Ares was surprised to see a fire in the kid's eyes that hadn't been there before. A fierce authority that seemed to make the runt look… less puny. "That's not good enough. And I wasn't asking, I was telling. All we need is three weeks; then Jason, Piper, Annabeth and I will be out of your hair for probably a good long while. It's only fair for you do the same and let us be until then."

" _Fair-_ "

But it was her turn to be interrupted, the kid not done speaking. "So until then, I'd better not see _you_ or _your_ half-siblings anywhere near my cabinmates, or _you'll_ wish you never messed with us 'forge brats'."

Ooh she was _so_ gonna punch this kid. But the runt let go of her arms and stepped away, out of the danger zone (or what he _thought_ was the danger zone), lips pulled tight and posture tense as he watched her expectantly. The Daughter of Ares felt a vein pulsing in her head and she took a deep breath, letting it hiss out through her nose. The pipsqueak was persistent. Annoyingly so.

"Fine," Clarisse agreed, her own brain failing to believe that such a word had left her mouth. She must still be half asleep to have given in so easily. Yeah, that was why. "We'll give you your three weeks." There were other campers that needed toughening up anyway: namely the Aphrodite barbies and Demeter tree-huggers.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me." She snapped. "Because once I tell the others, you can be sure they won't be happy. And as soon as you're gone…" A cruel smirk curled at her lips. "Once you're gone it's fair game."

* * *

Leo winced as the door to Cabin Five slammed shut.

What… did he just do?

The Hispanic's held breath rushed out and he bent over, placing a hand to his chest as if that would quell his racing heart. _Dios_ , but that had been ten times more terrifying than facing any giant. Leo didn't know what had come over him, but something deep inside had burned with a red hot fury when Clarisse had denied his request. A feeling of intense frustration that he'd only ever experienced whenever Annabeth stopped by the Bunker to 'check up' on their progress (usually culminating in her insistence that they weren't working fast enough).

Leo shook his head, straightening up and steadying his breathing. _Must be spending too much time around Nyssa_ , he thought. His half-sister's brash attitude must've rubbed off on him some. Or maybe… maybe he was just getting better at standing up to bullies.

That was probably also something he'd learned from Nys.

The Son of Hephaestus glanced down at his wristwatch, blanching at the time. It was already 7:30! He was almost late. Thankfully, Leo knew his way to Bunker Nine like the back of his hand: booted feet carrying him through the woods.

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Oh Leo... innocent, ignorant Leo... this won't backfire at all, I'm sure.**_

 _ **Final things:**_

 _ **First to OceanLover4712: Yeah, poor Leo indeed. Our little mechanic can't seem to catch a break... must be the curse of cabin nine ;) Don't worry- there's plenty more angst and whump and- I mean... sunshine and rainbows and happy days ahead! Thanks so much for reviewing!**_

 _ **Lastly to JackReaper28: I'm glad you're enjoying the details, it's so fun to slip them in and see just how in-depth I can go with the subtle hints. And thank you for such kind words! Leo is by far my favorite character Uncle Rick has ever written, so I'm thrilled to hear he's not OOC in my writing. I hope you continue to enjoy (and review, my gosh I loved reading your long/multiple reviews) the story as it progresses :)**_

 _ **As always, I encourage everyone who reads and enjoys this piece to drop me a comment below. I value each and every one and honestly, it feels good to know if you liked something, be it a particular line or scene, or even a joke (I'm not funny in the least, so writing humor is usually hit-or -miss).**_

 _ **Until next time (which will be very, very soon)!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	13. Entry 13: Drawbacks

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Long time no see, right? I kid. But welcome back to that part 2 of 3 that I mentioned in the last chapter! This is actually the longest chapter yet: with 5,523 words in the chapter alone (not counting my authors note rambles, shoutouts, and review responses). So yay for longer chapters!**_

 _ **Only one shoutout today, since there wasn't much time between uploads, and that's to Iamthenight25 for favoriting the story :) welcome aboard!**_

 _ **I'll let you get right to it, as promised.**_

 _ **Please enjoy the (unlucky) 13th entry of Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry 13: Drawbacks**

Production went smoothly for the next three days. Leo was pleased with the progress they'd made with the weapons system; a set of repeating crossbows mounted near the center of the ship on opposite sides of the bulwark. Nyssa's designs were… incredible, to say the least. Leo glanced back up as they retracted the weaponry into the ships hull again, seeing the older girl watching the process with a critical eye.

"I think something's still catching on the left one- it's not as fluid as the right." Nyssa called back to Daynah, who was at the controls. "Run it again."

Leo huffed sightly, "Now who's the paranoid one?" He asked to no one in particular.

Festus answered anyway with a persistent whirr of gears. The dragon animatronic's neck craned around to try and see what his mechanic was doing.

"Well of course," Leo scoffed in response, turning back to his work at the base of the bow. "I'd want it to be perfect too if I was making it. I just think it's funny, is all. Ironic because she kept chastizing me for doing the same with you."

Festus snorted out a small stream of smoke, clacking away in their morse code language.

Batting away the haze, Leo rapped the metal snout affectionately. "Hey, stop fidgeting- you don't want me to accidentally cross your wires, do you?" The animatronic stilled in its movement. "Didn't think so, now hold tight for just a bit longer, I'm almost done."

Originally, the masthead was just the location of the redundancy system circuits: programmed to take over only when commanded to by the control panel. But now, with Festus's return, Leo had decided to wire in a set of controls as well, ones that would allow the animatronic to remotely control the systems without directed input.

Festus whirred again, the dragon careful not to move as he spoke.

"It's like I told you earlier," Leo replied, studying the set of wrenches laid out at his feet before selecting the size he needed. "Before it was just a set of electrical relays making the decisions based on logic gates. Now that's I've got the best co-pilot in the world-" Festus clicked happily at that, "-I think it's fine to give you more control over the major systems."

The dragon tilted his head with a clack.

Leo laughed. "Yes, even the weapons systems. Although, you'll have to shut down for a bit so I can connect it directly to your mainframe."

Festus whirred in displeasure at the drawback but complied nonetheless, allowing Leo to safely hook up the computer and begin downloading the software configurations.

"Hey Leo." The hispanic looked over his shoulder to see Jake approaching, the blond wearing an easy smile. "We're about to break for dinner, you gonna come with? Or should I save you something."

Leo glanced back at the computer, watching the progress bar slowly creep from one side of the screen to the other. He couldn't work on Festus' other systems while the program was working. There wasn't much more he could do for now, so…

"Yeah, I'll come."

Jake blinked in surprise doing a double take at the answer. "Wait, really? I figured it would take at least three tries of me asking before you agreed." He raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Are you sure you're Leo Valdez? Are you feeling okay? Do I need to call a doctor?"

The former head counselor pretended to feel Leo's forehead for a fever, but the hispanic batted away the appendage with a roll of his eyes. "Ha ha. Leave the jokes to me, Mason, you've got horrible comedic delivery." Jake's smile only grew wider at that and he slung an arm around the younger demigod's neck, steering the smaller boy towards the exit.

* * *

It was make your own Taco Tuesday night at the dining pavillion.

Because of course it was. Leo wanted to laugh at that fact but he settled for a smile instead; it was time to shine. With ease, the hispanic masterfully began crafting the most beautiful, most mouth watering assortment of taco's Camp Half-Blood had ever seen. Even Jake was impressed by the results, eyebrows raising as Leo sat down at the table with his cabinmates

The former head counselor whistled. "Next time you're making my taco's for me."

Leo snorted. "Fat chance, Mason. You have to _earn_ the taco."

"Earn it, huh?" Jake took a bite of his own poorly crafted food, speaking around the mouthful. "Kinda like 'ow we 'ad to 'earn' you sitting wit' us?"

That paused Leo's actions, a taco raised halfway to his mouth. His brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Jake swallowed, aiming a knowing stare at his younger half-brother. "Dude, you're sitting at our cabin table. Even when you _do_ eat you've always sat with your friends." And he jerked his head in a direction for emphasis.

Leo's gaze followed to land on Jason and Piper sitting a few tables away. The two were enjoying their meal, casually chatting the night away with…

Annabeth.

The blond had been there when Leo had arrived, the Daughter of Athena deep in a discussion with his two friends as she pointed out places on a foldable map. Leo tried to pretend that it didn't hurt, for his spot at the table with Jason and Piper to have been so easily replaced. But it did: that voice in the depths of his mind that sounded suspiciously like Gaea whispering how he was always going to be a third wheel.

Even so, he had initially made to sit with them, but as he'd gotten closer, his blood began to boil at the thought of sitting next to Annabeth. That irrational irritation he felt towards the blonde drove him to change course at the last moment, moving to sit with his cabinmates instead.

He felt a pang of guilt as he realized that Jake was right… he had been regarding his half-siblings as a sort-of last resort. A fallback place to sit if Jason and Piper weren't around. That was something his cabinmates hardly deserved, given how hard they'd been working.

Leo realized he'd been quiet for far too long, and he forced a falsetto hurt expression to cross his face as he regarded Jake. "Mason! I thought _we_ were friends? Is it really so strange for me to want to sit with my loving half-brothers and sisters? I am wounded- _wounded!_ " He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

But despite the act, Jake was still watching him with that serious expression. Leo squirmed slightly under the scrutiny, opting to stuff his mouth with the concoction of ground beef, shredded cheese, and salsa. Jake watched him for a moment longer before shrugging his shoulders with a sigh. He looked as if he was going to say something else, but Leo was spared the pep talk thanks to Nyssa's arrival.

The older girl plopped down beside him, her plate loaded with goods and even a few desserts. But her gaze was locked on something in the distance, a pinch between her brows. Nyssa hummed in displeasure, then turned back to her food.

Jake had noticed the strange behavior as well. "Everything good, Nys?"

His response was a shrug. "Not sure," Their half-sister elaborated. "I think the meatheads are staring at us, though."

 _Meatheads?_ As one, Leo and Jake shifted to look over at the Ares table to find that- yup- they were definitely staring. And not in a nice and friendly way. Not even in a 'I-zoned-out-for-a-moment' way. Leo's chocolate gaze met the hard emerald gaze of one of the campers. Like all children of the war god, he was the physical embodiment of a gym membership commercial, with almost comically large muscles, a cropped cut of sandy-blond hair, and a chiseled jawline that any Aphrodite girl would fawn over.

 _Well_ , Leo amended the thought with a wince, his mind instantly recalling that Piper was one of said Aphrodite girls, _maybe not all of them._

But emerald dude was less of staring and more glaring daggers in their direction. Leo suppressed a shudder as one of emerald's buddy's leaned over and whispered something in his ear, resulting in the hard gaze to shift and focus directly on Leo himself.

Instead Leo smiled, waving at them from across the dining pavillion.

"What in Hades are you doing?" Nyssa deadpanned, catching the motion in her peripherals.

"Uh… being friendly towards our half-cousins?" Leo replied, sounding unsure even to his own ears.

"Friendly and Children of Ares are the last words that would fit together in the same sentence." Nyssa corrected. "You know what _is_ commonly in a sentence with Ares? Murder. Murder fits in very well with Children of Ares."

"Oh relax Nys." Jake waved a placating hand. "Murder is a bit extreme, don't 'cha think? Bloodshed is more accurate. Or maiming. Or seriously injuring. Or-"

"Okay, I get it." Leo interrupted. "But look on the bright side: they haven't been bothering us lately, right?"

The Head of Cabin Nine was asking not only as a counter point, but also as an honest question. He hadn't _heard_ of any altercations since his talk with Clarisse. It looked like the female equivalent of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson had upheld her end of the bargain. Still, that didn't mean nothing _had_ happened.

He received twin frowns of consideration, Jake and Nyssa exchanging a look before the latter spoke. "Y'know, they have been pretty chill lately."

"Yeah… Maybe they're planning something?"

Nyssa scoffed at the former head counselor. "Okay, I take it back. 'Plan' and 'Ares' are the least synergetic words in all of the human vocabulary."

The rest of dinner passed fairly uneventfully.

Leo couldn't help glancing over at Jason, Piper, and Annabeth every now and again, and from the way Jake looked over periodically, Leo could tell his observations had been anything but subtle. He did his best to divert the attention elsewhere, cracking a few jokes and impressing his half-siblings with his taco-making skills. Nyssa snuck extra desserts from the table with every refilled plate, and Leo casually slipped her some of his unwanted sweets as well.

At the end of the meal, Leo laced his hands behind his head, fighting back a yawn. It had been a while since he'd eaten that much food in one sitting, he could feel the beginnings of a food coma coming on.

Nyssa noticed the yawn. "Time for bed?" She phrased the words like a question, but Leo knew it was anything but.

"Um… actually-"

"I don't know why you bother asking, Nys." Jake chuckled. "I mean, you set up that cot in the bunker for a reason."

"Yes, but that only helps if he uses it. _Do_ you use it?" The last sentence was an _actual_ question, directed at her Cabin Leader.

"It… gets used… on occasion."

"The correct answer to that was 'every night'," The older girl informed. "It should get used _every_ night."

"Oh… right. That's, yeah, that's what I meant to say."

Jake facepalmed, shaking his head with a sigh.

"Just promise me you'll sleep tonight." Nyssa's tone was half exasperated, half resigned. "And by the gods take a shower! You smell like the inside of an auxiliary power unit. _Both_ of you."

"Hey!" Jake's brows furrowed in indignation. "I don't smell _that_ bad!"

"Trust me, you smell worse." As Jake sputtered for a comeback, Nyssa stood, grabbing her plate and moving over to one of the offering pyres. She dumped her leftovers into the blaze and returned, jabbing a finger into Leo's chest. "Remember- _use_ the cot. We'll see you in the morning. C'mon Jake- stop sniffing your shirt for Hades sake, I was only kidding."

Leo waved at their retreating forms, then stood and stretched. Dinner break was over- it was time to get back to work. As he made his way towards the treeline, Leo failed to notice the pair of emerald eyes that stood up to follow him.

* * *

Leo may not have had any designs on using the cot (he was fully prepared to pull another all-nighter to get Festus' systems fully functional), but he did slip into the back room where a small set of showers had been constructed. Complete with small box lockers and a wooden bench.

Despite what Nyssa seemed to think, Leo did _not_ enjoy the feeling of grease and oil in his hair. The same as he was _not_ always thrilled about how much he smelled like his machines. But when you worked around them all day, every day, that tended to happen more often than not. Leo sighed contentedly as he stepped out from under the heated water, shutting off the flow and allowing the steam to roll over him in waves of lingering warmth.

And the best part? There was no wait. He didn't have to loiter in his stained clothes for hours on end while his cabinmates took turns filtering through the insufficient number of showers back by the cabins. He had this one all to himself.

The hispanic couldn't restrain a smirk as he dried off, slipping into the spare set of clean(er) clothes he'd left in the bottom locker. A glance at his watch told him the night was still young, barely past midnight, which meant there was still work that could be done. Specifically, finishing with Festus' data uploads before the others arrived in the morning. With that out of the way he would be able to assist in making the ammunition, and loading up spare parts and leftover celestial bronze scraps for their trip west. And after that...

Leo paused, one hand halfway through the sleeve of a white collared shirt.

After that, then it would be time for them to leave. The Son of Hephaestus had tried so hard throughout the past few weeks to _not_ think about it. About leaving Camp Half-Blood in pursuit of their new quest to stop Gaea from opening the doors of death.

He'd only heard the Prophecy of Seven two weeks ago. And he wasn't exactly thrilled with what the apocalyptic poem had to say.

 _To storm or fire, the world must fall_.

A chocolate gaze trailed over to his open hand. He swallowed, daring to allow his power to flow into his palm, creating a tiny burning ember that grew into a small flame.

He was fire.

Of that Leo had no doubt. Jason, at the moment, was the most promising candidate for the 'storm' analogy. And knowing his friend (his noble, protective, keeper-of-justice-and-good friend) he highly doubted the Son of Jupiter would allow the world to be destroyed. Which meant that…

The world would burn. By Leo's hand.

Said hand began to tremble, and the fire fed off of Leo's unstable emotions, growing larger by the second. The heat of the flame startled Leo out of his stupor and he extinguished it with a vengeance, closing his hand into a fist in an attempt to regain control.

But his hand still trembled.

Leo sat down heavily on the bench, exhaling a shaky breath as he braced himself on his knees. _Don't think about it_ , he thought, forcing his mind to shove the words of the prophecy deep into the recess of his mind where he locked it away with all of the other doubts that constantly plagued him. _Don't think about it_.

His next breath was more steady; stronger, despite the churn in his guts.

He could hold it together.

He had to.

With a shake of his head, Leo dismissed the negative thoughts, hurrying to finish dressing. He'd wasted enough time lollygagging in the back room. It was time to go work on his baby; and the idea of polishing what remained of his dragon brought a true smile to his face.

A smile that faded not long after he'd re-emerged into the main hanger space.

Booted feet had led him around the bow of the ship, a hand absently patting the base of the masthead in a silent promise to boot up the dragon once the software had finished downloading. But when he reached the main deck, he pulled up short.

Two people were standing by the bow. Strangers to him, but then again, there were a lot of kids in this camp. And since Leo really didn't go anywhere beside the bunker and Cabin Nine, the only other people who he saw aside from his cabinmates were visitors. Mostly Jason and Piper when they found the time, which was seemingly harder and harder for them to manage. And Annabeth, who always interrupted his work to insist they incorporate something or another into the ships designs; as though each request was as simple as ordering a pizza with an extra topping.

One was leaning against the railing, his dark hair starkly contrasting a set of electric blue eyes. The other was standing next to the mess of wires behind the animatronic, and Leo briefly noticed that the program was flashing green, signaling the upload had finished. The latter's cropped sandy head turned in his direction, and Leo realized he'd seen those piercing emerald eyes before: staring at him from across the dining pavillion just hours earlier.

Leo didn't know their names, but by the look of them (sleeveless orange camp shirts and slightly torn blue jeans) they were certainly _not_ from Cabin Nine.

Trying not to look as surprised as he felt, Leo hooked his thumbs into his toolbelt, meandering over but stopping a fair distance away. "Hey there, what brings you to Leo's World?"

Green eyes looked over at blue. "Mark, you can't be serious?" He asked, addressing his companion. " _This_ is their Head Counselor? The one that forced La Rue to comply with his demands?"

Leo's eyes narrowed. La Rue? That was… oh no.

He was right, they weren't from Cabin Nine.

They were from Cabin Five.

"Yu-p." The dark haired demigod- Mark, apparently- popped the 'p', pushing away from the edge. "That's the runt."

"You're _joking_. Clarisse gave into _this_ pipsqueak?"

Green eyes flung out a hand to gesture at Leo, the smaller boy taking a wary step back at the movement. It was rare for the younger demigod to take notice of his shorter stature. Around his cabinmates and friend he didn't ever feel like height was all that important. But now… now he was fully aware of just how _tiny_ he was in comparison to the two brawny teens in front of him. His heart began to race, adrenalin starting to pump through his system in preparation for whatever was about to come next.

"I dunno, Sherman." Mark held up his hands, taking a few slow steps forward and angling himself towards Leo. "Seems to me like La Rue is getting soft. Might be time for new management in Cabin Five."

"How'd you get her to cave, kid?" Sherman's attention suddenly refocused on the younger demigod. "C'mon, there must be some kind of dirt you had on her. No way would she give in to the likes of you."

Leo's pounding heart slowed slightly. Maybe he was misreading this whole confrontation. Maybe they just wanted to know what had happened, Clarisse had promised they would stay out of their hair so Sherman and Mark probably just wanted to know why.

"Well, I started by asking nicely," Leo began, his mouth weaving the words easily. "That didn't go so well so then I tried groveling: kneeling in the dirt and chanting 'we're not worthy' and everything!" It was a shameless lie that Leo had no qualms over, he could tell the Sons of Ares wanted a good story more so than the truth; the burly teens already seeming satisfied with his tale. "And when that didn't work I promised to give her my dessert for a month. She agreed and that was the end of it."

Green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Clarisse hates sweets."

Mark was a little slower on the uptake. He frowned, the furrow and slightly open mouth very accurately resembling that of an ape. Then understanding dawned and he glared at Leo. "Did you… did you just _lie_ to us?"

Very slow on the uptake.

"Well-" But before Leo could try to talk his way out of the situation, Mark surged forward.

The mechanic took a stuttering step back but the taller boy's speed caught him off-guard. A hand fisted in the front of Leo's shirt and the Son of Ares casual muscle easily lifted the scrawnier kid up, only to forcefully shove him back against the mast.

Leo grabbed at the hand holding him, his other arm scrabbling towards his toolbelt in an attempt to pull out his trusty mallet. Sherman noticed the move, however, the green eyed boy stepping forwards in two long srtides and _ripping_ the leather belt from Leo's waist as if he was simply tearing a piece of paper in half.

Leo swallowed as Sherman tossed it aside, Hephaestus' gift sliding across the polished metal floor to rest at the base of the bow. A few of its contents scattering across the deck. His panick only spiked at having his one means of retaliation taken from him, and Leo struggled against Mark's grasp with renewed effort, but it was like trying to move a steel bar.

"Can you give that back, please?" Leo asked after a moment, internally wincing when his voice wavered as terror spiked though his mind. "We're kinda attached at the hip."

"A jokester, huh?" Mark laughed, but it was mocking in nature. "I know some jokes, too. Wanna hear them?"

Leo very much doubted he had an actual say in the matter. "S-Sure."

"Knock knock."

"... who's there?"

"My fist."

The air was driven from his lungs as Mark pounded his bowling ball of a hand into Leo's side, releasing the smaller demigod simultaneously, allowing the momentum and gravity to send Leo smashing into the deck. The mechanic lie there, dazed for a moment in his prone position, one hand automatically curling around his midsection as if that would protect him from the blow that he'd just endured.

"That wasn't even a joke, Mark." Sherman drawled, sounding bored as he stepped closer. "Jokes go like this: Why did the demigod tell Clarisse what to do?"

Leo was still trying to refill his lungs with air, but he saw Mark turn to his half-sibling with a frown. "That's not how the joke goes."

Sherman just rolled his eyes, nudging Leo with the toe of his shoe. "Well, pipsqueak? Not even gonna try and guess?"

The mechanic grimaced, raising his head to glare at the taller boy. "Because her brothers were being _cabr_ _óns_."

Leo doubted either of them spoke Spanish, but the vehemence in his tone was telling enough. Mark's face reddened with rage, but the same fury wasn't as evident in Sherman. Instead, the green eyed demigod just smiled coldly and tilted his head.

"Not quite." He said, and when he spoke Leo couldn't help but shudder at how cold the words were. "The demigod told Clarisse what to do because he hasn't properly learned how to hold his tounge." Sherman took a step closer and Leo did his best to shuffle back. "And seeing as we're the senior demigods here, it's our duty to tech you proper manners."

Leo didn't see it coming, the Son of Ares was wicked fast, the laces of his shoe whipping forwards to slam into Leo's jaw. The force of the blow snapped the mechanic's head back and his vision whited out.

* * *

When Leo regained consciousness it was to the taste of his mother's enchiladas.

 _Ambrosia_ , his sluggish mind supplied, seeing the empty bag of his emergency supplies on the ground. Sherman and Mark were looming above him, and Leo realized that he'd been propped against the main mast, slumped in a sitting position on the cool metal floor. He tried to move only to find that he couldn't. And it took him a few seconds to realize why.

He had been tied to the mast. A thick length of rope was secured under his armpits, trapping him against the metal column, and he could feel the hemp rope digging into his wrists, hands lashed together on either side of the mast. The restraint connected around the back of the column so that his arms were pulled back into a painfully awkward position on either side of him; limbs not fully long enough to completely encircle the mast.

Leo tried to quell his rising panic. _It's okay_ , he told himself, _it's okay_. _These idiots used rope, so all I have to do is burn through it_.

And he did.

Or, he tried to, at least.

But the rope didn't burn. Leo frowned, his heart racing as he gripped the restraints and tried again. That's when he felt the waxy coating, and his hope shattered as he recognized exactly what he was bound _with_. It wasn't just any rope. It was rope from the ship.

Fireproof chord. Because he'd made it that way.

Leo swallowed hard.

His situation just got more complicated. A _lot_ more complicated.

By that point, Mark had noticed his return to the world of the waking, and moved to crouch in front of him with a sick grin.

"Looks like he's back with us." The Son of Ares commented off hand to his brother. "Passing out on us like that when we're in the middle of a lesson is horribly rude, y'know." Leo winced as the buff teen patted his cheek none too gently. "Now where were we? Ah, right, you were going to apologize for bossing around our Cabin Leader."

Despite the situation, Leo felt his lips turn up in a wan smile. "I'd love to but, as you can see, my hand are tied at the moment- ummph!"

The air was driven from his lungs as Mark's fist connected with his gut. The bully sighed, "Still making jokes, I see. At least the other ones were funny. That one was just pathetic."

"I have to agree." Leo wheezed as he regained his breath. "Who taught you to punch? Aphrodite?" The only answer he got was a boot ramming into his side. Leo gasped in pain, but refused to give in. "That… that felt more like it. Not quite up to par, but hey, you're only targeting a defenseless camper so what can I expect-"

Leo saw it coming, and he had enough time to turn his face, but the punch still landed squarely, snapping his head to the side. But Mark didn't stop there, continuing the barrage with well placed hits to his abdomen, cheek, and jaw that Leo had no doubt would bruise terribly but still allow him to function.

The Son of Ares punctuated each blow with a word. "Why. Won't. You. Just. Shut. Up!"

When he was done, he stepped back, breathing heavily. Leo was panting as well, his mind furiously trying to devise a way to get out of the situation in one piece. Unfortunately, with each passing moment, that was beginning to seem less and less likely to happen.

Still…

"First you want me to apologize, then you want me to shut up." He wasn't going to cave that easily, raising a steely gaze to meet theirs. "Would you make up your mind already?"

Mark's mouth twisted in ire, and without warning he picked up his foot and slammed the heel of his shoe into Leo's ribs.

Leo couldn't hold back a choked scream as he felt something _crack_.

Black dots splashed across his vision, and everything around him became a blur as _pain pain PAIN_ consumed his thoughts. His upper torso curled in as much as it could, head bowed as Leo tried to alleviate some of the ache, but it was like trying to douse a wildfire with a squirt gun.

His breaths came in shallow gasps, but even that small movement set his nerve endings on fire- agony coursing through his body like a live wire. He whimpered, the noise only seeming to please his captors.

"Looks like you finally found the mute button."

Sherman's words barely registered in Leo's ears. But Mark chuckled all the same, leaning over and sneering, "What? No witty comeback? I'm all ears, runt."

Even if Leo had the capacity to think of a quippy remark, he couldn't draw the breath to say it. His silence must've irked Mark (at this point Leo didn't know what to do- if he talked it annoyed them, if he didn't it still annoyed them and either way, he didn't see a way out of his predicament) because the Son of Ares reached down, grabbing a fistful of Leo's curly locks and yanking his head up and back to crash it into the mast.

The dull thump was lost amidst the hurricane of torment coursing through Leo's body, but he still grunted on impact, hearing the gears inside the ship vibrate from the force of the hit. The upright position also pulled painfully on his aching- _and most likely broken_ \- ribs.

 _Wait a minute…_

Gears?

Maybe… maybe there _was_ a way out of this after all.

Leo squeezed his eyes shut, the palms of his bound hands pressing flat against the cold metal of the ship's mast. He heard Mark chuckle from somewhere on his right. "Aww… look at that. He's gonna cry. How is that going to help you, little forge brat?"

But Leo wasn't crying.

He was concentrating.

Beneath him was a myriad of machine parts, thrumming with potential. Leo wove his way deep into the inner workings of the Argo II, feeling relays and switch contacts respond to his probing. He pushed harder, delving deeper into the systems and components, searching for and finding what he needed. After a few more moments, he was ready.

He opened his eyes, and Mark's smirk faded at what he saw in the Son of Hephaestus' gaze.

There was no moisture or tears.

There was only fire.

"Get off… my ship." Leo commanded, his tone low and dangerous.

In the next second, the Argo II came to life with a roar- specifically, Festus' roar, as the dragon animatronic's head swiveled around to blow a stream of white-hot flames at Leo's assailants. The Sons of Ares stumbled back in surprise, but Leo wasn't finished. The deck slid back on either side of him and Nyssa's giant twin repeating crossbow unfolded from the floor, locked and loaded and aiming at the two intruders.

" _Shit!_ " Mark scrambled away, and even Sherman moved back from the main mast; green and blue eyes blown wide.

It was their turn to be afraid.

Festus roared again and the two scampered towards the gangplank. A column of flames blocked their path, the Son of Ares recoiling from the intensity of the inferno. The gangplank retracted into the hull within seconds, cutting off their escape. Both crossbows fired, bolts aimed slightly off to the side of the demigods. They weren't of the explosive variety, but the barbed tip still drove the bullied back.

Leo didn't want to hurt them, after all. A lance of pain spiked through his head; from his ribs or from where his skull had been forcefully acquainted with the metal mast he wasn't sure. Okay… so maybe a little bit of hurt wouldn't- well, _hurt_.

Oh, how Leo wished he could laugh at his own pun.

He concentrated, empowering the circuits as the weapons reloaded, taking better aim this time. Sherman seemed to have sensed Leo's intent to harm them, the older demigod all but shoving his half-brother towards the railing.

"Go!"

Leo fired just as they jumped over the side of the ship, falling the long distance to the bunker floor where Leo heard them land with a thud. For a moment, he feared the drop may have killed them, but then the shuffle of feet making for the bunker door echoed around the hanger. But it was only after said door had swung shut with a _clang_ that Leo allowed himself to relax, shoulders slumping as far as they could in the restraints.

The crossbows powered down, and the ships gears slowed. A wave of exhaustion crashed over the mechanic, eyes fluttering faintly. He tried to take deep breaths but the throbbing in his ribs discouraged the action. Leo winced, closing his eyes as a jolt of pain spasmed through his lungs. Distantly, as if through a long tunnel, he heard Festus clacking worredly, the sound bouncing around in his head to join the pulses from the lump that he could feel forming under his curls.

"I'm… fine, Festus." The words were barely a whisper. Leo opened his eyes and feebly tugged at the ropes restraining his hands, but they didn't give. He worked at them while he spoke reassuringly to the dragon. "Just need… a moment… to-" He cut off with a cry as his motions caused the rope under his armpits to slip down a fraction so that it was now pressing into his ribs; lower on his side, right where beefhead number one had been kicking him.

His head dropped down to his chest, panting gasps all that escaped his lips.

Festus whirred again, the vibration from the noise traveling through the mast and causing Leo to realize he was still the one providing power to the dragon. Leo's eyes slid to half mast as he wordlessly sent an apology to the animatronic, knowing Festus would probably panic when he was next powered on, before cutting off his waning energy to the dragons circuits.

Red polycarbonate eyes dimmed as a second wave of fatigue rolled over him, and this time, Leo didn't resist. Allowing it to drag him under the surface and into oblivion.

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Not gonna lie I had a blast writing this chapter- and not just because of the terribly mean cliffhanger at the end there.**_

 _ **Final things:**_

 _ **First, to JackReaper28: I was surprised to find that someone had reviewed so soon! I'm glad the POV shifts weren't confusing, and yeah, writing Clarisse was surprisingly fun :D now that she's a senior camper she's less about the outright bullying and more a fan of 'toughening up' the weaker campers. Normally I would hesitate to write from a perspective like hers but it just seemed to flow too perfectly to have it any other way. Thanks again for your awesome reviews! It really made my day :) Happy reading!**_

 _ **As always, I beeseech thee to share thyne thoughts in the comment box below. I had a lot of fun with this entry and I hope you all did too, I'd love to hear what you guys thought of it so please don't be shy. I don't bite like Festus, I promise!**_

 _ **Have a great rest of the week!**_

 _ **Until next time :)**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	14. Entry 14: Oscillations

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Okay so there was definitely more than a two week delay between updates. I mostly blame midterms, but now that those are over I should be back to the normal schedule of one chapter every 2 weeks. Thank you to all who have continued to support this story in it's brief hiatus!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: HunterofArtemis9 and pinkskyplanet for favoriting the logbook!**_

 _ **Shoutout to pinkskyplanet for also increasing the Leo following ;)**_

 _ **Also, as it turned out, this is not a 3-parter, but a 4-parter! As I was writing out this entry I realized that this mini story arc would need one more entry to close it out. So without further ado, please enjoy the 14th entry into Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry 14: Oscillations**

Nyssa was roused from her blissful slumber with a rough shake. The method was strange in it of itself: Usually her alarm woke her up with it's incessantly drab tone. Stranger still that she was being woken so early, a glance at said timing device showing that it was only 6:30. Turning bleary eyes upwards, she found that someone was standing next to her bed. Nyssa frowned up at Jake, who flashed her a mischievous grin.

"My my, but don't we look _ravishing_ this morning!" He said brightly, the former head counselor clearly doing his best to stifle a laugh.

At what, her sleep-addled brain was still in the process of figuring out. Slowly, Nyssa pushed herself into an upright position, groaning as tense muscles were stretched for the first time that day. For some reason, her discomfort only improved upon Jake's mood, the older boy now biting onto the tip of his thumb to keep from letting out a noise.

" _What_ _._ " She snapped, the sound growling out from the depths of her throat. "Is so funny, Mason." Despite the heat, she kept her tone low, not wanting to wake the others before it was time for breakfast- gods knew they could all use the rest.

"Oh, nothing, nothing" Jake flapped a hand in her direction, "I just… _love_ what you've done with your hair!" And at long last it became too much, the former Cabin Nine leader doubling over as amused chortles shook his shoulders.

If the idiot didn't quiet down, he was going to wake the rest of the cabin.

It took her a half second more to register his words.

 _Her… hair?_ Nyssa frowned in confusion, slowly raising a hand. Okay, so maybe she just had a bad case of bedhead- it wasn't that uncommon for her to wake up with the occasional cowlick- but then why… Nyssa's hands stilled as she found the cause of Jake's amusement.

It wasn't a cowlick.

Nyssa threw her sheets off and rushed to the bathroom mirror. She stared for a long time, not quite believing what she was seeing.

A bow.

A big, fluffy, pink bow with polka dots had been fastened to the top of her head with… was that- was that super glue! She tugged at it and winced, realizing that yes, the horrid pink monstrosity was securely fastened to her head. And it wasn't coming off. Nyssa's hand closed around a decently-sized spanner wrench that someone had left on the sink counter. Her knuckles were white against the metal as she stormed back into the bunk room.

Pranks and cheap tricks were one thing, but this?

He was going to die for this.

" _MASON!_ "

She didn't care that her roar sent the entire cabin scrambling from the vestiges of sleep. She supposed she should feel guilty for the rude awakening, but at the moment she had just one goal, and one goal only.

There was the telltale flash of a camera and she turned to see Jake smiling as he took the film daintily. "Oh man, wait until I show Leo this one!" Then his eyes met hers and the smile disappeared faster than a shadow in the sun. His face lost all color as he took a slow step back. "N-Now Nys, it was just a joke. It washes off easily, I promise-"

"Run."

Jake was lucky to get the warning and he knew it, running so fast he kicked up dust in his wake. Nyssa looked to her rousing cabinmates, only some of them aware enough to understand what was happening, and said "This is his nightmare. You lot can go back to sleep."

The early morning air was crisp and cool, the general calm of the camp disrupted only by the pounding of feet and the intimidating aura of one Daughter of Hephaestus as she chased after her half-brother. Despite being physically fit, Nyssa was still trailing behind Jake by a good length. She blamed it on the un-aerodynamic hairpiece. But it wasn't long before she realized that he was taking a very familiar path: the one that led to the Bunker.

That was fine with her. The Bunker had only one entry and exit: Jake would be running into a dead end. Quite literally, for him.

By the time they reached it, Nyssa was covered in a thin layer of sweat, gooseflesh prickling her arms as the wind cooled the liquid on her skin. She was sure the tank-top and shorts didn't help matters, leaving a large portion of her exposed to the elements; but despite Nyssa's enraged rush to wallop her sibling, she'd at least had the foresight to slip into a pair of sneakers first.

Nyssa followed after Jake, scanning her gaze around the room to find him scrabbling around one of the worktables. He reached behind a pile of prototype controllers, pulling out a plastic one that closely resembled a RC car remote, relief washing over his face at the acquisition.

"Thank the gods." He breathed, turning and jumping when he saw how close in proximity his adversary was. "Nyssa, you don't want to do this." He cautioned.

She scoffed, grabbing a second wrench- a large adjustable one- from a nearby bench. "No, I think you don't want me to do this. Because I really, _really_ do."

"Then you leave me no choice." Jake responded dramatically, flipping a power switch while his lips turned up in the corner. "I think it's time to test out your weapons system."

The ships engines whirred to life, but Nyssa's yell was ten times louder as she leapt forwards, striking out with the wrench. Jake yelped, backpedaling and brilliantly using the only thing at his disposal that wasn't made of flesh and bone to deflect the attack. Wrench met remote and sparks flew as the metal tool crushed the electrical components inside the plastic box.

A sharp jolt zinged through her arm but Nyssa ignored the shock, shaking her hand out and taking another step towards the now completely defenseless Jake. The older boy visibly swallowed, moving back a pace. He opened his mouth as if to plead for his life when the grating of metal gears screeched from above. There was a muted clang as the ships ramp slammed down behind Nyssa, the girl turning in surprise- _why had the gangplank been retracted?_ \- at the sudden noise.

From above, Festus hissed again, red polycarbonate eyes glowering down at the two bickering half-siblings with an intensity that reminded Nyssa of when the dragon had first gone haywire. They both gaped at the dragon, all thoughts of their previous argument gone. Their confused silence only seemed to agitate the animatronic, Festus' gears grinding as he jerked his head towards the lowered ramp.

He did so once more before either of them moved, Jake tilting his head. "You… want us to come up?"

Festus nodded, eyes glowing brighter as his pistons whirred. The mechanized dragon looked back over towards the center of the ship with something akin to a concerned croon in it's Morse-code language.

"Uh… okay then." But Jake glanced at Nyssa first. "Truce?"

"Oh this is so not over, Mason." Nyssa promised darkly, but she moved aside all the same.

She followed behind her former Cabin Leader as he made his way to the deck where the ballistae were already surfaced. Nyssa's brow furrowed. Despite his threat, Jake hadn't actually managed to call forth the weapons systems before she'd smashed the remote. So as to why the weapons were already out and armed was a question she couldn't solve.

Between the sheets of metal she could find her answer, eyes glimpsing Leo's classic white shirt and cargo pants through the gaps. The fact that the hispanic was on the main deck could mean only one of two things:

That he had pulled another all nighter to finagle with the weapons, or

That he fell asleep while working ( _again_ , not that Nyssa should be surprised at that- he spent more time drooling on drafting tables than he did pillows) and once more neglected to utilize the cot she had so graciously acquired for him.

Either way, the result was that Nyssa's aggravation returned in full force. Why her two mechanically intelligent half-brothers insisted on undermining their talents with stupidity was beyond her. And at this point, she was done with the both of them. Nyssa pushed past Jake, feet carrying her around the ballistae. "I swear I will duct tape you to that cot if I find you sleeping anywhere other than-" but the threat died on her lips as she rounded the weapon, feet pulling up short at what she saw.

The middle of the deck was a mess: tools scattered around the space in a manner unbefitting any experienced mechanic. Various fasteners and electrical relays having spilled from the pouches of a familiar toolbelt that had been tossed to the far side of the ship. Leo was propped against the mast, a length of thick chord wrapped around his chest and securing his hands on either side of the cylindrical structure. His head was slumped forwards, chin to his chest, eyes closed.

"What in Hades…" Jake's spoken sentiment echoed Nyssa's thoughts as he too pulled up short at the sight. Festus whirred again, conveying a series of worried clicks as the masthead tried to get a view of his mechanic around the obstacles; the dragons neck too short to properly see.

The noise broke Nyssa's stupor and she rushed over, Jake following closely behind. She dropped to her knees at Leo's side, hands hovering over the still form of her younger half-brother. Jake whipped out a multitool, extending the blade and sawing through the rope. A moment later Leo's arm fell with a thunk, and Jake moved around the mast to do the same on the other side. A brief glance revealed that the skin beneath had been abraided, rubbed raw from the unnatural position. But that wasn't Nyssa's main concern at the moment.

The older girl tapped on the side of Leo's face, trying to wake him. She was rewarded with a low groan and a slight lolling of his head, but Leo remained unconscious. Nyssa's stomach dropped. It just wasn't natural… seeing Leo so still.

Jake worked at the binding around Leo's midriff, and when it had snapped free, Leo's upper half began slipping sideways. Nyssa hurried to catch him, snaking her arms around his chest; but the moment she did, Leo gave a pained cry and tried to curl in on himself. Fetus mirrored the sound a second later, the grinding of pistons grating on Nyssa's ears.

Panic spiked in her heart and she very nearly let go of her Cabin Leader. But some part of her mind that wasn't in full on worry mode rationalized that dropping an injured person was a very bad idea. Instead, she quickly adjusted her grip, supporting Leo from behind and holding him against her chest. Leo whimpered softly, eyes fluttering sluggishly and breath catching in the telltale sign of wakefulness.

"Leo? Leo can you hear me?" And if her voice wavered in that moment Nyssa didn't take notice. Because she had to know… she had to make sure he was okay. Clouded brown eyes slitted open (the left one was nearly swollen shut) to look up at her and Leo's brow pinched in confusion as he struggled to focus on her face for a long moment.

When he spoke, his voice was low and raspy. "Minnie… mouse?"

And despite the situation, and the fact that her delirious half-brother was mistaking her for a cartoon character because of the giant pink bow on her head, Nyssa let out a relieved huff of laughter. "No, not- not quite."

Her voice must've sparked some kind of recognition, because Leo blinked hard and some vestige of clarity returned. "N-Nys?" A hazy gaze flitted around the area. "Jake? When did you-" Leo had started to rise, but he halted the movement abruptly with a moan. One arm moved to curl around his chest protectively and his eyes squeezed shut as the younger boy slumped back down.

At the, albeit quiet, voice of his mechanic, Festus whirred again, a jet of steam hissing out through his pipes. The dragons gears whirred loudly, causing Leo to wince at the noise, eyes screwing tighter.

"Festus… sorry, bud, but… _demasiado ruidoso_." Leo's hand twitched up towards his ears as if to cover them. " _M-mas suave, por favor_."

"What happened?" Jake's words was sharp with concern, Nyssa's own fear spiking at the shift from English to Spanish. Leo did it occasionally when joking with them, but it was never more than the occasional ' _Dios_ ' or other simple ones that could be inferred through context. "Who did this?"

It dawned on Nyssa then, that this was no mere accident or maintenance mishap (not that she thought it was to begin with, but her mind had been a bit too preoccupied to try and piece that together). Someone…. someone had done this to her Cabin Leader. To her little brother. Rage and concern warred for dominance as Nyssa's free hand curled into a fist. She vowed to find who did this, who dared to harm her sibling in such a manner, and she would make them regret ever touching a hair on Leo's head.

" _L-lo siento_." The apology was barely a breath, the words whispering from between Leo's lips. He hadn't reopened his eyes, brow creasing in discomfort. " _Todo es mi culpa. Lo siento… lo siento…_ " Leo's voice had grown softer with each sentence until it petered out, his body losing its tension as he slipped into the realm of unconsciousness once more.

"Hey- after all this time now is when you wanna sleep?" It took all she had for Nyssa to keep her voice from quivering with fear as she patted his cheek gently. "C'mon Leo, open your eyes. Wake up!" But nothing she did roused the smaller boy.

Jake sucked in a harsh breath, eyes trained on something under the fabric of Leo's shirt. "This is really bad." Nyssa almost snapped back with a 'No shit Sherlock!' until she saw what Jake was looking at. A bruise. A big one. Hued a deep blue and purple, and spread across the entirety of Leo's left side.

Shit… no wonder he'd yelped when she grabbed him.

"We need to get him to medical." Nyssa managed as she fought down the sudden urge to throw up. "He needs ambrosia and nectar."

Jake nodded in agreement and Nyssa shifted, carefully collecting her younger brother into her arms, bridal style. They had taken all of two steps towards to ramp when a crunch underfoot made Jake hesitate. The older boy bent over to pick something up as Nyssa continued towards the exit.

She paused when she noticed his absence, turning only to find his face had paled considerably. In his hands was a clear, empty plastic bag. "What is it now?"

"It's… ambrosia. Or, it was ambrosia. Leo kept a stash in his toolbelt, ever since he got back from his quest." Jake peered at the bag. "The thing is… there was still some left last week. I saw him offer Jason a piece at dinner."

Nyssa remembered that night too, Leo had sat with them at their cabin table for the third night in a row, and after the meal he'd made his way over to where Jason had been massaging sparring practice injuries. The Son of Jupiter had refused with a smile, but the bag had still held a few squares at the time.

Now it was empty.

Nyssa didn't know what to make of it at the moment, so instead she listened to her gut. "Does it matter? Let's go Mason. Move your ass."

Jake started out of his thoughts and nodded, tucking the bag into his pocket as they left the Bunker; the older demigod stopping one last time to assure Festus that they would be back soon, the dragon having gotten agitated at the sight of them leaving with Leo. Once they were outside, Nyssa wanted to run. Wanted to get to the medical tent as fast as her legs could carry her. But trying to jog through an overgrown, root filled forest would only agitate Leo's wound further and she wasn't about to let that happen. Not on her watch. Still, she went as fast as she dared, keeping her focus trained on Jake as he picked his way down the long forgotten trail that led back to camp.

Even with all of her caution, she still jostled his side on occasion, and Leo winced every time, head turning instinctively to bury it into her shoulder after a particularly jarring stumble.

It was hot.

Hotter than normal, at any rate. Leo's unique ability to be fireproof resulted in the demigod's internal body temperature always seeming to be higher than normal; but what Nyssa could feel on her skin was much too warm, even for him. She looked down at the sweat soaked brow, strands of his unruly carob hair sticking to his forehead.

Nyssa was no medic, but having a fever along with severe bruising was probably not a good sign. Her feet pounded on the soft earth below with a new sense of urgency, and her grip tightened ever so slightly. Leo mumbled something incoherent, breath hot on her exposed skin.

 _He was so small_.

The random thought flitted through her mind, taking Nyssa by surprise. Sure, she knew Leo wasn't the tallest demigod in Cabin Nine, but his height had never been a factor she'd taken notice of until now. He had this larger than life presence, and a personality to match: so much so that even the concept of small could hardly be applied to the demigod.

But now, cradled in Nyssa's arms with uneven breathing ghosting past his lips, he felt tiny.

* * *

Nyssa hated the infirmary. It smelled too clean; the scent of rubbing alcohol and antiseptic seeping from every bed both empty and occupied. At present, they were all empty; save for one where a child of Hypnos had fallen asleep (it was nearly impossible to wake them once they dozed off- easier to just them commandeer the bed). Had it been later in the day, closer to when training activities began, Nyssa had no doubt that there would be more activity: children of Apollo rushing about working to cure whatever hurts were acquired during the day.

At the moment, it was only the overnight healer on duty.

Will Solace looked up as they entered, faint shadows under his eyes from staying up all evening. His sky blue eyes widened as he took in the three of them as they entered, the blond standing quickly from the desk near the back and making his way over. A scrutinizing gaze efficiently scanned over them, lingering- naturally- on Leo's form still cradled in Nyssa's arms.

"What happened?" He asked once he was within earshot.

That seemed to be the question of the day. Nyssa tuned out Jake's rushed explanation, thoughts lingering on the words. What did happen? The only one who knew for sure was currently unable to tell them.

Once he'd gotten the rundown of the situation, Will gestured for her to lay Leo down on the bed. Only… she didn't want to let go. Nyssa knew it was stupid- they'd made it, Leo would be okay now, Will would make sure of it- but the thought of putting him down gave her pause. Throughout their rush to the infirmary, she could feel the shallow rise and fall of the younger demigod's chest as he breathed; laying him on the bed would deny her that small comfort.

After another half second of hesitation, Nyssa settled for a compromise, gently placing Leo atop the pristine white sheets. One of her hands lingered in his as she sat at the chair by the bed.

Nyssa was quiet as Will began looking over her younger half-sibling. Her mind wandered as he examined the bruise, trying to think of just who would want to hurt Leo. Well… aside from her. But her threats were teasing in nature, and rarely followed through on unless someone truly crossed a line. The same went for any of her half-siblings. Even then, she would never go this far. At the reminder of how they'd found their Cabin Leader, Nyssa's grip tightened around Leo's limp one.

No… this wasn't the work of anyone from Cabin Nine. So then who?

Cabin Five. That answer made the most sense. Ares' kids were the default bullies of the camp so it fit, but at the same time, Nyssa had nothing to prove it was their doing.

More so, Leo had a tendency to be annoying. Well, not as much annoying as he was pesky; always joking and teasing his fellow campers when he wasn't working in the bunker. It wasn't rare for the Hispanic to cross the occasional line, but he had always been quick to back off if that occurred. Still, Nyssa couldn't completely dismiss the possibility that it had been someone he'd offended who took a chance to retaliate.

All of which only meant that the pool of suspects was fairly large.

Jake was quiet too, but his contemplation was not directed at the bed, but rather the bag. The empty plastic one he'd taken from the Argo II. Nyssa could practically see the gears turning in his head as he puzzled through whatever issue he thought he'd found. It was only seconds after Will returned with a small vial of golden nectar that clarity took over the confusion.

"Wait!" Jake lunged forward, grabbing Will's arm before the Son of Apollo could bring the drink to Leo's lips. "You can't give him that."

"The _hell_ he can't!" Nyssa rose, shoulders stiff as she faced her half-brother. "Leo's hurt and-"

"And what if he's already had some?" Jake asked, pulling out the empty ambrosia bag. "What if Leo already ate ambrosia?"

"If he did, he'd hardly be in _this_ condition!" Nyssa retorted hotly, flinging a hand out to gesture at the bedridden demigod.

Jake's voice was just as combative. "Unless he was hurt _after_ eating the food of the gods."

"Why would he-"

"I don't know!" Jake threw his arms up in exasperation. "But if I'm right, and he _did_ eat the rest of his ambrosia between dinner last night and now, then having him drink more nectar could…." The former Cabin leader didn't finish the thought, swallowing nervously, eyes darting to the bed and back. His tone was softer and a tad fearful. "Do you _really_ think we should take that chance?"

Uneasy silence settled between the two siblings.

Nyssa tapped her fingers against her leg as her thoughts turned inward. If… if Jake was right… but it made no sense! Why would Leo just eat ambrosia before taking what looked to be a nasty beating? She knew the food of the gods was magically altered to taste like a person's favorite comfort food (for her it was her step-father's homemade snicker-doodles) but Chiron had always strongly discouraged casual consumption of the stuff for the exact point Jake had just made: eating too much could cause a demigod to literally burn up-

Her hand stilled. _Oh gods_ …

"He has a fever." She mumbled, eyes turning back to Leo. They lingered on his still sweaty brow and flushed cheeks. Suddenly she was no longer against Jake's caution. "We can't give him nectar."

Will still looked a bit lost, but he nodded. "We'll use physical and herbal medications then, at least until we know for sure." He placed the cup down on the bedside table. "I can give him a fever reducer and something for the pain."

"What about the bruise?" Jake asked.

The Son of Apollo shook his head with an apologetic look. "If something is broken, then trying to splint it would only make things worse. Putting pressure on it with a wrap might cause it to puncture a lung, so the most I can do is get some ice to reduce the swelling."

Unreasonable resentment surged in Nyssa as she glowered at the healer. "That's it? That's all you can do?"

Will turned his bright eyes on her, sky blue gaze hardening like steel: Yet his tone was compassionate when he spoke. "I know you're worried. But Leo will be fine, I promise. We're only withholding the nectar until he wakes to tell us what happened himself; once we know for sure how long it's been since he's eaten the ambrosia- if he had any at all- we can move forward. Until that time, he needs rest."

Nyssa tamped down on the urge to scowl at Will. She had no right to argue with him, he was the leader of Cabin Seven for a reason, but she couldn't help it. She felt useless, standing right next to Leo and yet unable to do anything to ease his pain.

"And in order for _that_ to happen," Will said, apparently not done speaking, "I must respectfully ask the both of you to leave."

" _What-"_

"We understand." Jake interrupted Nyssa's outraged cry, grabbing her arm and steering her towards the exit. "Please, take care of our brother, Will."

The last thing Nyssa saw before the tent flap fell closed was the healer dipping his head solemnly. Outside, the sun had crested the horizon, casting it's light across the entirety of the camp. But Nyssa felt no warmth. She wrenched herself from Jake's grip, turning on the blond with fire on her tongue.

"What in Hades do you think you're doing!" She shouted, "Leaving Leo when he's… when he's like that. We should be at his side! Not getting thrown out like some invasive pest!"

"You think I want to leave him there by himself?" Jake's retort was just as scalding, the older boy running a hand through his hair. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be at the moment, but we can't just sit at his bedside and watch him breathe."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because there's still work to do."

Nyssa couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Work? How can you possibly think about that at a time like this?"

The running joke that her cabinmates cared more about their machines than their fellow campers had always seemed like just that, a joke. Never did Nyssa seriously consider that for some of her half-siblings it might very well be true. But this was _Jake Mason_ she was talking to: the same idiot who ran after a haywire dragon to try and shut it down so it wouldn't continue it's camp-wide rampage. Even if the rumor applied to some of the newer campers who could get a bit carried away with their personal projects (Leo included), Jake wasn't one of them. At least… she hadn't thought he was.

Maybe she was wrong.

"The others will be heading to breakfast soon," Jake replied in lieu of an answer. "And what do you propose we tell them when they realize Leo is missing? That he was beat up and hog tied to the Argo's mast by some unknown entity?"

"Well-"

"Or," Jake's voice dropped low, a hand crushing the plastic bag as he brought it to eye level. "Would you rather find the bastard who used this on him, and make sure he has a worse wake-up call than Leo did?"

The words registered slowly, but when they did, Nyssa couldn't repress the feral grin that creased her lips. Shame on her for doubting the older demigod. Jake wasn't abandoning their Cabin Leader; he was avenging him. And Nyssa felt honored to take part in said payback.

With a common goal in mind, the two set off towards the ring of cabins. But Jake cleared his throat nervously as they drew nearer to the multitude of buildings. "Before we start," He coughed suggestively, eyes flicking up to the top of her head. "You, uhh, might want to lose the big pink bow, _Minnie_."

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **A word on the chapter title: Oscillations is a term commonly used when describing electrical signals. They reverberate outwards in rippling waves from a central tower, and can affect multiple facets of radio communications. In this instance, the central tower is Leo, and what happened to him is now undulating out and will affect all who know him.**_

 _ **It might be a bit deep for a simple fanfiction chapter title, but I thought it was clever ;)**_

 _ **Final things:**_

 _ **(EDIT: Wow I am so sorry! I overlooked some of the reviews from last chapter- I don't know how, but I did, and I apologize.)**_

 _ **First, to elephantlover123: Here's part one of that resolution! Next chapter we'll see about that cabin v cabin you mentioned ;) I'm glad you enjoyed the story, I'm honestly a sucker for some good whump. Thanks for your review!**_

 _ **Secondly, to Venomous dragons bite: They really should, shouldn't they... Hahaha. And ooooh yeah, they definitely made a mistake by messing with the one cabin that can royally screw them over (brain beats brawn, am i right?). Hope you enjoyed the continuation!**_

 _ **Next, to JackReaper28: Yeah, I wish things at CHB were nice and pristine and picture perfect too. But we are talking about the same camp where Percy nearly got a swirly on day 1, hahaha. I'm glad you (objectively) enjoyed the story despite the imperfect view I'm presenting. Thanks for your review :)**_

 _ **Next, to Guest (Ch. 13): Duly noted! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, I honestly wasn't sure if people would like the direct-sequel style, seeing as this is just a handful of slightly-connected one shots. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment :) I hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **Lastly, to pinkskyplanet: Thank you for the double reviews! I too, think this period of time was sorely underwritten (as in, not at all), and I just love Leo's character. So much emotion and strength and humor and complexity: plus, he's a mechanic like me (which is totally awesome!). I hope you continue to enjoy the story :) Thanks again!**_

 _ **That's all for today, folks! If you enjoyed (or even if you didn't enjoy) the story please drop me a comment below. Leave me your thoughts or suggestions for future updates, I love hearing from y'all and it's super motivating :)**_

 _ **Have a wonderful Sunday!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	15. Entry 15: Broken Vows and Broken Bones

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **Welcome back to the final installment in the two-parter-turned-four-chapter-arc of this fanfiction of one shots.**_

 _ **And if you're as stumped by that sentence as I am, then congratulations! You have officially seen the inner workings of my mind at midnight :P Quick note from yours truly before we get to it: This chapter is the last full-length one of this arc, but there will be a small portion of the next one dedicated to wrapping things up in a nice neat bow. Think of this one as the cake, and the next one as icing on the cake :)**_

 _ **That's all the spoiler's you get today!**_

 _ **Only one shoutout today, and that's to asveerapaneni: welcome to the following!**_

 _ **And now, please enjoy the 15th Entry into the ever growing journal that is Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

 _ **p.s. currently this is the largest chapter at 6,981 words!**_

* * *

 **Entry 15: Broken Vows and Broken Bones**

Clarisse's day had gone from bad to worse, and she hadn't even finished her breakfast.

First it had been the warning notification from Chiron; Clarisse had woken up to find a neatly folded sheet of paper fastened to the corner of her bed. The letter, in it of itself, wasn't terribly surprising. The old centaur was rarely one to disturb his campers during the night unless the matter was of vital importance. However, the message written on the page was far more concerning. One of her cabinmates had been caught breaking the new curfew regulation; Chiron's memo stated, in no uncertain terms, that should another member of the Ares cabin be found out after hours, Cabin Nine would be regulated to kitchen duty for the rest of the month (of which there were a solid three weeks remaining).

The Daughter of Ares was already prepared to chew out the idiot- the name Mark Finnigan staring at her from the page- for being so stupid; not for breaking curfew, people did that all the time, but for being dumb enough to get caught by _going to the infirmary after midnight_. You had to be some kind of imbecile to get caught in such a simple manner. Clarisse knew her half-siblings weren't the sharpest blades in the armory, but reading that sentence in Chiron's message made her blood boil.

But before Clarisse could even think of the many ways in which to beat some sense into Mark's thick skull, Sherman-effing- _Yang_ , of all people, had physically stood in the door to stop her from leaving the cabin. Then the fool went and declared his challenge for the Head Counselor position. Half of their cabinmates hadn't even been fully dressed when he'd issued the statement. Sherman was at least smarter than the average Ares kid, he knew that an open challenge in front of the rest of the cabin was a show of force (an attribute every kid of Cabin Five demanded in their Head Counselor), a bold declaration that almost ensured the current Cabin Leader would accept.

Not that Clarisse had any intention of declining in the first place. The Daughter of Ares knew she wouldn't be Head of Cabin Nine- a job that was basically being a glorified babysitter- forever, but she wasn't going to step down a moment before _she_ wanted to. And she certainly wasn't about to let _this_ half-brother take her place.

Sherman was a semi-decent fighter, Clarisse would give him that, but he was no leader. He could manhandle their half-siblings into obeying an order with the best of them, but had no clue how to compel them to keep that discipline if his back was turned. He wasn't even good at following in that manner. On the other hand, she had struck a balance between letting her cabinmates _think_ they were doing what they wanted, when in reality they were doing what she commanded. And for that Clarisse not only had earned the respect of her half-sibling, but had set a _standard_ in Cabin Five, one that Sherman would topple it in two days flat.

Clarisse rose to the challenge with only a brief hesitation at the sudden statement (challenges weren't rare, but the timing of this one had blindsided her), grinning like a wolf at the thought of pummeling Sherman into the ground and putting him back in his place. She even gave a sampling reminder of her strength by bodily shoving him out of her way while declaring nothing was happening until lunchtime- she didn't want him to pin his loss on sleepiness or a stomach ache.

Each cabin had their own way of selecting a new Head Counselor: for the Athena kids it was usually a battle of wits, for Aphrodite it devolved to a simple popularity contest, for Ares it was (surprise, surprise) a fight to draw first blood. News would spread and of course they were going to have an audience. She'd have to curb her temper so as not to embarass Sherman when she beat him. At least, not too badly.

So, yeah, her day was going just _great_ so far.

Clarisse rolled her shoulder as she shoveled a spoonful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. In addition to all of this she'd woken up uncomfortably sore. There was no 'usual' practice for people with the gumption to keep improving, and she'd pushed herself especially hard yesterday. In a few hours it would feel more like a familiar workout ache, but for now she was ready to bite the hand off the next thing that poked her.

Her cabinmates knew this and had given her a good berth to eat in peace.

It was only after she'd chugged the rest of her coffee that Clarisse felt the presence of someone coming to stand behind her. Thumping the empty mug on the table, and knowing that this person was exceedingly lucky caffeine was a magic in its own right, the Daughter of Ares stabbed one of her remaining sausages with her knife.

"Whoever you are, and whatever you want, I suggest you ask someone else." She growled out.

"No, I'm pretty sure I want to ask you."

 _What was it today with people trying to ruin her morning?_ Clarisse's gripped the eating utensil hard enough for the metal to actually bend under the pressure. She cast a baleful eye over her shoulder, careful to tamp down on her quickly building aggravation. "What do you want, Barrera?"

Nyssa's look was dark enough to shadow travel from, the Daughter of Hephaestus' hands folded tightly across her chest. "We need to talk."

"So talk." Clarisse turned her back on the girl, ripping the sausage from the knife with her teeth.

Of all the campers in Camp Half-Blood, Nyssa Barrera was one of the few people Clarisse didn't _actually_ despise (this particular list was small enough to be counted on one hand). Despite being a forge brat, Nyssa had a fiery streak in her; a ferocity that Clarisse rarely saw in the pipsqueaks outside of her own cabinmates. When she'd first arrived at the camp, Clarisse had given her the same treatment as the rest of the runts, but Nyssa had quickly asserted herself, refusing to be cowed by the burlier, more experienced Daughter of Ares. Throughout the years that fire only burned stronger and brighter.

In another life, Clarisse could actually see them being half-sisters.

In this life, she was still wondering what in Hades Nyssa wanted.

"Did you do it?" The other girl hadn't moved from where she stood, looming over Clarisse's breakfast.

"Nope." The answer came fast and easy. Seeing as Clarisse had absolutely _no_ idea what Nyssa was referring to, she couldn't in any way be responsible for whatever had happened. "'S that it, then? I'm trying to enjoy my breakfast here and you're kind of ruining that." She finished off the first sausage and went to jab in at the next.

"Your siblings then. Did you send them after him? Why?"

Clarisse let out a long sigh, resting her hand back down on the table. She cast a glance at the enraged face of her interrogator and motioned to the bench. "Take a seat."

After a moment, the younger girl obliged, sitting stiffly besides Clarisse.

"Now," The Daughter of Ares turned so that she was angled towards Nyssa. "If you're trying to accuse me and my cabin of something that we didn't do?" Clarisse gestured between the both of them with the knife. "We're gonna have problems, you and I. And, to be frank, I have enough to worry about already without whatever issues you're trying to work through."

True to form, Nyssa's eyes only narrowed, completely unintimidated. "Oh we already have a problem, and when I find out who hurt my Cabin Leader, they're gonna wish they'd never laid a finger on Leo."

The name struck a chord with Clarisse, and it only took her a second to recall the runt with a death wish. Her brows drew together as she frowned at Nyssa. "Something happened to the pipsqueak?"

She had asked the question out of curiosity, of course.

Nyssa studied Clarisse's face for a long minute. Whatever she saw drained the tension from her posture and she slumped slightly. "So it really wasn't you." She said, more to herself than anything, and then, "We found him early this morning in the hanger. He'd been beaten up pretty badly, bruises, a couple of broken ribs. He'd even been restrained so he couldn't fight back. Tell me that doesn't sound exactly like something one of your siblings would do."

Defensive now, Clarisse noted, with that last line. Trying to justify her accusations. There was only one problem. "Well, whoever had beef with him, they weren't in Cabin Five. Y'all are still off limits for now, so I'd caution you against blaming the rest of my siblings. They can get testy when you accuse them of stuff they didn't do- more so than me."

Instead of taking the generously offered advice and leaving, Nyssa only frowned in confusion. "What do you mean we're 'off-limits'?"

"I'm not sure how any other phrasing would make it more clear." Clarisse chewed on a bit of her last sausage, seeing the confusion only grow on the other girls face. Hang on… did the runt… "He didn't tell you, did he?" Nyssa's blank stare was answer enough and Clarisse let out a bark of laughter. "And I thought I had trust issues. Your runt of a Cabin Leader came knocking on Cabin Five's door a few days ago, asked us to lay off the pestering until Annabeth and her posse left. I told him there'd be consequences later but the pipsqueak didn't seem to care."

From Nyssa's expression it was clear that this was all news to her.

"In any case, since you apparently didn't know, consider this your head start. Because let me tell you a few of my half-siblings will be gunning for your cabin once this ceasefire's over."

More than a few, actually. Clarisse remembered the outrage when she'd made the initial announcement. More than half of the cabin had been angered by the decision, their rage only quelled with the promise of payback tenfold in the future. Her promise hadn't satisfied everyone, though. One of the loudest protesters had been Mark, the younger demigod having fallen easily into the role of harassing new campers.

Which reminded her… Clarisse cast her gaze around the other Children of Ares, looking for the curfew offender. She spotted him sitting at the far end of their table, surrounded by some of the newer additions to the cabin. Sherman was there as well, the older demigod seeming almost bored by whatever small talk was currently filling the air between his siblings.

Unable to hold back a grumble, Clarisse stood up from the bench. "Speaking of problems I have to deal with…" She spared a moment to glance back at Nyssa. "Good luck with your search."

Without waiting for a response from the other demigod, Clarisse made her way over to the far end of the table. Over the din of the dining pavillion, it was hard to make out what they were talking about, but as she drew near, a comment from Mark had the others guaffing with amusement.

"-and the look on his face?" Mark continued, clearly enjoying the spotlight. "Dude was about to piss his pants he was so scared."

At that, Sherman's eyebrow rose skeptically. "You almost did too, if memory serves."

Mark's face reddened as his audience's chuckles morphed to include him. "Yeah- well next time _you_ have to deal with a dragon breathing fire down your neck, then we'll see who's laughing."

"You say that like I wasn't there." Sherman's perplexed tone faded as his eyes slipped past Mark to meet the gaze of Clarisse. The moss green gaze hardened, narrowing slightly. "Something we can do for you, Cabin Head? Or have you come to surrender your position in a more private setting."

Still playing the tough-guy card, inciting her in front of his friends as a show of confidence.

Clarisse snorted. "Only when hell freezes over, Yang. No, I'm here for this dumbass." She clasped a hand on Mark's shoulder, squeezing tighter than necessary as her steely gaze bored into his own. "You and I need to have a little chat, Finnigan."

"What, and you can't say it here?" Mark countered, a challenge in his eyes. "First you tell us to back off the forge brats like cowards, and now you're too scared to talk in front of a crowd? Face it, La Rue, you're no longer fit to lead Cabin Five."

There was a tense silence at the table. And while the others didn't outright agree with it, neither did they try to deny Mark's sentiment. There was a hesitation to their gaze, one that suggested Sherman's challenge shouldn't have been as surprising as it was. Loyalty mattered in the Ares cabin. And it seemed like that was slipping through her fingers at an alarmingly fast rate. Clarisse grit her teeth in frustration. Here she was, fully prepared to offer up an ounce of concern for her half-brother over whatever injury had been deemed severe enough to warrant a trip to the med bay after curfew.

Maybe Mark was right, she was being too nice as of late.

A smile curled her lips as she let go of his shoulder; but there was nothing warm about the expression. "You're absolutely right, Finnigan. Why should I deny you the chance to embarrass yourself more in front of your peers. You don't mind people laughing at you, right? Just checking."

Mark's face changed from sneering confidence to horror in half a second, and Clarisse's cold grin only grew as he realized he'd made a fatal mistake.

"Now I know following orders is something you struggle with, but for the most part, you rarely manage to royally screw things up. So imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find this on my bed." And she pulled out the folded note from Chiron, letting the paper fall on the table. "I realize your head's emptier than a sheath without its sword, but it takes a special brand of stupid to get caught after curfew by going to the infirmary where everyone- or, aparenty _not_ everyone- knows they report that kind of infraction to Chiron."

Mark's face was beet red with embarrassment or rage, possibly both, but Clarisse wasn't done talking.

"Next time you go and get yourself injured after hours, kindly lick your wounds in private." The older girl paused in thought. "Or if it's bad enough, find a place to die quietly that won't get the rest of the cabin put on KP for the remainder of the month. Got it? Good, I'm so glad we had this chat. Sherman-" the demigod in question glanced up at being addressed. Clarisse turned around, speaking over her shoulder as she left. "I'll see your ass over at the arena at eleven. Don't be late."

She made her way towards the arena, intending to get in a bout of practice before the match. But Clarisse found her mind lingering on the conversation she'd interrupted. _Why would Mark be at the camp borders past lights out?_ There was no other way to explain his comment about the dragon: Peleus was delegated to guarding Thalia's Tree, and he was the only dragon in the camp aside from-

Her feet scuffed in the dirt as Clarisse came to a halt in front of the armory's opened doors.

She stood there for the better part of two minutes, in front of the racks of practice weapons and shields, silently staring. Other campers passed around her to grab blunted swords and axes for the upcoming practice session, none making a comment on how she'd stopped in the middle of foot traffic. They knew better than to interrupt the Daughter of Ares when she had such a look of intense concentration to her thoughts. Clarisse might not have been as intelligent as Annabeth, but the Daughter of Ares was hardly as stupid as Percy: she knew what two plus two equaled. Huffing softly to herself, Clarisse ended her statue imitation, walking over the the rack of spears and snatching a thick shafted one from the back shelves.

She needed to make lunchtime's challenge far more interesting than her brothers anticipated.

* * *

It was getting harder and harder to pretend that Leo was okay. Nyssa and Jake had come to the decision not to tell their half-siblings about his condition (yet), instead informing them all that Leo had given everyone the day off to rest. The occupants of Cabin Nine had been overjoyed at the announcement; a good many of them celebrating by immediately flopping back into their bunks and pulling the covers over their heads. Others had gone off to work on their sadly neglected side projects to the resumed chorus of snoring, looking forwards to spending the day tinkering with something _other_ than the ship.

But then a few of them had visited the Bunker to grab supplies. When they got back, Harley had mentioned that Leo wasn't in the hanger, curiously asking after the Cabin Leaders whereabouts. Nyssa had tried to stutter out an answer only for Jake to come to her rescue, saying Leo was spending the day with Jason and Piper. The answer seemed to satisfy their younger brother, and no more questions had been raised; but as the day wore on, some of their siblings became more attuned to the lack of sarcastic commentary and poor jokes Leo would provide on the rare days when they weren't working.

All of that coupled with the fact that it wasn't even time for lunch yet had Nyssa doubtful she and Jake would be able to find the culprit before Leo woke up and told them himself. _Which…_ Nyssa flicked her gaze over towards the medical tent as she walked back from the ring of cabins, _might not be for a while still_.

She had visited after breakfast, of course, only to find her younger brother still unresponsive, a cool compress placed on his forehead to stave off his feverish brow. Victoria had come over, the Daughter of Apollo having replaced Will sometime that morning, and told Nyssa that Leo might be out of it for a few more hours.

Well, it had been a few hours since then, and so Nyssa and Jake were making their way through the camp back towards the infirmary. As they walked across the empty fields, Nyssa couldn't help but feel like something was off. They were passing by the empty volleyball courts when she identified the reason for the unease. She began casting her gaze around the camp as they walked, noting a distinct lack of presence in the usual hang out areas. Nyssa was about to comment as much to Jake when she saw where everyone had gone and disappeared to. There was a sizable crowd forming around the arena, children from every cabin hovering around the fringes of what Nyssa could only assume was a full set of stands; among them were some of her own half-siblings, Nyssa noticed, spotting Harley's curly hair trying to force his way though the crowd.

"I wonder what's going on over there?"

Jake hummed as he let his gaze wander to where she was looking. "Oh, you didn't hear? Apparently Clarisse was challenged for her position as Head of Cabin Five. You want to go watch?"

"Not really. I'd rather go check on Leo than watch two people hit each other with sticks."

Jake raised his eyes to the sky. "C'mon, I doubt a five minute fight is gonna delay us seeing Leo wake up."

 _Five minutes, huh?_ Nyssa slowed her pace. "Think the challenger is that good?"

"What?" Jake laughed, the sounds bubbling up from his belly, "No way- La Rue's gonna wipe the floor with him in two minutes flat. I'm giving this Sherman guy the benefit of the doubt when I say five."

"So then, remind me why that's worth my time?"

"I dunno, Barrera." A dry voice came from behind her, "You spent just as long _falsely accusing_ me this morning over breakfast."

Nyssa had to try _really_ hard to not let her shoulders hunch up to ears defensively as she turned, hearing Jake say nervously, "H-Hey La Rue. Um, good luck out there."

Clarisse ignored him, draping her spear, Maimer, over her shoulder as her eyes bored into Nyssa's. To her surprise, there was no malice in the gaze, but rather… amusement? Or, satisfaction? Whatever emotion played out across her features it was one Nyssa was not expecting to see. A smile- a genuine one, as far as Nyssa could tell- turned Clarisse's lip upwards, even as her eyes remained hard.

"Trust me, Barerra, this is one fight you won't wanna miss." And with those parting words, the Daughter of Ares pushed between them, making sure to forcefully check Jake in the shoulder as she did, marching towards the quickly filling arena.

Nyssa spared a moment to watch her go, then shot a glance at Jake. "Did she seem… chipper, to you?"

Her half-brother shrugged, massaging his shoulder. "She's about to go into a fight- that usually tends to cheer up Ares' kids."

While she agreed, that hadn't seemed to be the case this time. Deciding to trust her gut instinct, Nyssa allowed her feet to carry her towards the arena, hearing Jake fall in step behind her a moment later. The spectators had taken up alternating cheers of "Cla-risse, Cla-risse, Cla-risse," and "Sher-man, Sher-man, Sher-man," portraying roughly a fifty-fifty split on the supporters. Nyssa forced her way to the front, ignoring the other camper's indignant gripes and groans.

They made it to the front just in time to see Clarisse raise a hand, quelling the rising chants. Her voice boomed in the silence.

"Alright, listen up!" Clarisse planted the butt of her spear in the dirt. "We all know why we're here so I won't bore you with the details. Whoever draws first blood will be the official Leader of Cabin Five-"

Her speech was cut off as the members of Ares Cabin roared, their chants for the favored victor ringing across the field. Clarisse let them carry on for a bit before holding up her hand again. When they didn't settle down immediately, her jaw ticked in annoyance.

" _ENOUGH!_ " Despite the volume of the crowd, Clarisse proved she was louder, the stands once more falling into silence because of her. Taking a composing breath, Clarisse continued. "Now, since we seem to have a fair amount of onlookers with nothing better to do with their lives, I want you all to watch the fight closely. Maybe some of you will actually learn a thing or two."

A few ripples of laughter emanated from the Ares section of the stands as their current Cabin Leader took up her position across from the challenger. Throughout the introductory speech, Sherman had stood silently, the tip of his broadsword angled down at the dirt. The weapon itself was massive, a blood red hilted, two-handed blade that was almost as wide as his thigh. Next to it, Clarisse's spear looked like a toothpick.

When Clarisse finished talking he readied his stance, hoisting the goliath sword as if it weighed nothing.

They took up positions in the center of the ring, a patch of dirt with marks chalked in to represent the edges. Will Solace and two other camp medics were off on one side, undoubtedly prepared for however severe this 'first blood' turned out to be. In truth, there hadn't been a real need for them since Clarisse took over as Cabin Head, she was experienced enough to know how to defeat a challenger without doing extensive or lasting damage. From what Nyssa had heard from Jake, Ares' change of command ceremonies could get deadly: there was even one year when the challenger nearly severed his Cabin Head's left arm.

The tense quiet that filled the arena was palpable, the absence of sound only broken a moment later by the ring of a bell.

Like the firing of a piston, Clarisse exploded from her stance, lunging forward in a clear thrust at Sherman's defenses. The crowd yelled with surprise at the Daughter of Ares' incredible speed, and even Nyssa felt her mouth drop in awe. Cheers followed shortly after when Sherman deflected the blow, dodging out of the way as a second and third jab followed closely behind the first.

Nyssa wasn't really rooting for either of them to win, this was a Cabin Five matter, after all. But as she watched she couldn't help but be impressed at the finesse of each strike and counterstrike. Watching the two Children of Ares maneuver through an intricate battle dance was a clear reminder of why Ares campers were undisputed masters on the battlefield (despite what the Athena kids had to say).

As the match progressed, Sherman tried to retaliate, but despite his clear skill with the sword, Clarisse's reach with Maimer was too great a distance for him to cover. Every swing came up short, the older demigod easily dancing out of the arc of the blade, rebuffing a few of the blows with an expression of contempt on her face. Contrastingly, Sherman's cheeks were growing steadily redder with pent up rage, the challenger's frustration of always being out of reach clearly fueling his attacks which came faster and harder.

There was a moment in which Sherman seemed to have finally breached Clarisse's guard, the broadsword arcing diagonally down toward her shoulder. His supporters in the crowd went wild as they saw what was probably the end of the match. But at the last moment, Clarisse angled the butt of her spear so that the blow skimmed off the polished metal end of Maimer and into the ground. At the same time, the crackle of electricity originating from the spear filled the air and a short shock of sparks zinged up Sherman's blade. He yelped, jumping back and just barely raising his guard to defend against Clarisse's follow up.

When she retracted her weapon again, Sherman's face twisted into a snarl. "You _bitch_!"

Clarisse only smiled.

 _She's toying with him_. Nyssa realized, with only a hint of unease. That move could've ended the fight if she'd used the sharpened spear tip to counter when Sherman stumbled, but instead she had just prodded her half-brother with her weapon's power in a way that drew no blood, but was sure to provoke her opponent.

Enraged now, Sherman's attacked with a renewed fervor, swings steadily growing wild and erratic. Narrowing her eyes, Clarisse managed to avoid them all, moving with a grace and agility possessed by only the best fighters in the camp. On one particularly bad overstep, she flashed the butt of her spear up and around, solidly smacking Sherman in the cheek. The boy's head snapped to the side, but when he whipped it back around, Nyssa saw that the blow hadn't broken the skin: no blood. Clarisse rolled beneath another swing, coming up behind her opponent near the edge of the arena and using the blunted end to poke Sherman none too gently in the back, the younger demigod stumbling a step forward before catching his balance.

It was clear that Clarisse had already won the fight, the spectators no longer cheering for Sherman despite their initial support. Now the Children of Ares jeered with every missed strike, laughing as Clarisse stood back patiently while Sherman swung to face her. Her face turned towards the stands, back partially angled away from Sherman, mouth moving as she made some comment to her challenger that was swallowed up by the noise around Nyssa.

Whatever she'd said was the final straw for Sherman, the boy letting out a roar as he lunged forwards. The ground beneath his feet splintered from the sheer force of his head-on rush, the Son of Ares covering the ten feet between him and Clarisse in a single, swift bound.

Nyssa gasped with the rest of the crowd, seeing that there was no way to defend from the attack. Clarisse had relaxed her posture, half turned away when she'd made the comment. And as formidable as she was with the spear, the sheer force behind Sherman's blow would snap the shaft in an instant.

But Clarisse hadn't stopped smiling.

If asked later what she had seen, Nyssa would be unable to describe it. At first it looked like Clarrisse was going to try and defend in the same manner she'd used throughout the fight. But then, in the time it took for Nyssa to blink, Clarisse had managed to expertly hooked her spear in the crook of Sherman's arm. The Daughter of Ares had apparently moved _towards_ her opponent's headlong rush. Nyssa blinked again in surprise and was instantly grateful her eyes had been closed as a sickening _CRACK_ filled the air.

Sherman's cry of pain was the only thing filling the sudden silence that had fallen over the arena. But Clarisse still wasn't done, twirling the spear above her head to then swing it around the smack into the back of one of his knees, bringing Sherman to a kneel at her feet.

The challenger panted heavily, broadsword having fallen from his grasp as one hand reached across his body to clutch at the other arm which was hanging limply and at a nauseating angle that was in no way natural. Will and the healers moved forward with an urgency only to pull up short when Clarisse raised a hand in their direction. Her eyes were harder than steel as she stared at them, and it was then that Nyssa realized the fight wasn't officially over.

Clarsse's maneuver still hadn't managed to draw any blood.

Then Clarisse raised the tip of her spear to hover a few inches away from the base of her half-brother's neck, and a second gasp hushed through the crowd, uncertain murmurs running and then freezing equally fast. The deadly weapon that had slayed the drakon in the war against Kronos, so close to a jugular, made everyone catch their breath. Someone somewhere whimpered a little.

Nyssa wasn't close to the Daughter of Ares in any sense of the word, but she knew Clarisse enough to say that the girl wouldn't just kill someone in cold blood. _Especially_ not one of her half-siblings.

"I- I yield." The two words dragged their way from Sherman's throat, the instinctive tears from pain leaking from his eyes. The Son of Ares kept his voice steady despite his agony, though it was thickening his tone as he said bitterly. "You win."

Clarisse scoffed at that. "It's not over until one of us draws first blood, Yang." And with alarming speed she proceeded to stab Maimer's spear tip down-

-and into Sherman's exposed foot. The spearhead pierced through his shoe and the Son of Ares cried out for a second time, upper torso folding over his knee as Clarisse stepped away, leaving her spear quivering like a flag of conquest. Will and the others moved forwards again, but Clarisse shot them another dark look that warned them away from interfering.

"Don't go anywhere yet." Clarisse announced to the onlookers, causing several to freeze in their tracks. The burly girl leisurely started strolling over to the side of the arena where two wooden practice swords were propped against a water fountain. "There's one more piece of business we need to settle here and now." She made her way back to the center of the arena before barking out, "Finnigan! Get your ass over here."

At the command, another Son of Ares made his way hesitantly down to the field, casting a nervous gaze to his half-brother who was still on his knees, due to fear or due to the spear sticking out of his boot, Nyssa couldn't tell. She frowned in confusion along with the other onlookers, wondering what the girl was doing now. Clarisse motioned for him to stand next to her, and then called out two more names.

"Barerra, Mason, you too."

Nyssa felt Jake start beside her and found herself blinking in surprise. Clarisse shifted her gaze slightly, meeting their eyes and jerking her head in a 'come on' motion. She had the same look as earlier, that satisfied confidence radiating from her.

Taking a breath, Nyssa too ka step forward.

Jake's hand was on her arm in the next second. "Nys, are you crazy?" He hissed.

Clarisse's words returned to the forefront of Nyssa's mind: _"Trust me, Barerra, this is one fight you won't wanna miss."_ The Daughter of Ares had clearly wanted them here for a reason. Looks like they were about to find out why.

"You want to tell her no?" Nyssa countered, "After seeing _that_?" And she tore her arm from his grip, making her way to the field without waiting to see if Jake was coming. He did after a half second, footsteps hurried to catch up and look like he hadn't thought about defying the Head of Cabin Five. They came to a stop, standing next to Clarisse opposite of Finnigan, the other boy shooting them a curious look.

Clarisse nodded at them, then turned back to her audience. "A couple of days ago- I made a promise to a certain pipsqueak from Cabin Nine."

That got Nyssa's attention, and the attention of her half-siblings in the crowd who likely had no idea Leo had dared cross the terrifying fighter that had just decimated a powerful foe. On the other side of her, Finnigan's face paled slightly and she saw his throat bob with a nervous swallow.

"It doesn't matter _what_ I promised or _why_ I did it, the fact of the matter is that I gave him my word, and that of my cabin, that we would uphold our end of the deal. As Head Counselor of Ares Cabin, I take these things _very_ seriously. Whereas these two," Clarisse jerked a thumb over in the direction of Finnigan and Sherman, "have proven to me that they do not: seeing as they decided to go and break that promise."

 _Wait… what?_ Nyssa's eyes widened and she turned to stare at Clarisse. _Did she mean that… that these were the people who had hurt Leo?_

Something dark coiled in Nyssa's gut as she shifted her gaze at Clarisse's half-brothers.

"Not only did they disobey my direct order, but they failed to cover up their insubordination with any ounce of intelligence. Finnigan was treated for burns inflicted by a certain metal dragon, and Yang thought I wouldn't notice when he raided our cabin's stash of ambrosia." Clarisse pulled a face. "And here I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, thinking he'd been practicing more. Something he _clearly_ needs." She spared a moment to glance over at her defeated sibling before continuing. "Therefore, I've decided to settle this matter here and now, in the good old-fashioned Ares way. Since their cabin leader is currently unavailable to attend the match, these two will be taking his place."

She proceeded to hand both Nyssa and Jake a stiff wooden practice sword. Nyssa looked down at the weapon with no small amount of confusion, seeing Jake do the same in her periphery.

"I know better than anyone that you can't take back the blow of a good punch- or spear-" A whimper from where Sherman still crouched punctuated Clarisse's words. "So the best I can do is give my blessing from the whole of Cabin Nine to return the favor Finnigan gave your Cabin Leader. The match will end when the wronged party is fully satisfied."

Clarisse started making her way to the edge of the arena where Sherman was, yanking her spear out of where it was still firmly planted in his foot, then nodding to Will and his team. Given the official go ahead, they jumped into action, rushing forwards to usher the wounded demigod from the field. Clarisse raised her eyes to the three still in the ring, one brow quirking in expectation.

"Well? You may begin."

Finnigan seemed to fully understand what was going on only just then, turning with eyes wide with disbelief. "W-wait- two on one? That's not a fair fight!"

"You're right, it isn't." Clarisse's tone brokered no argument, but Finnigan still tried.

"I don't even get a _weapon_?"

The next words out of Clarisse's mouth were so cold Nyssa wouldn't be surprised if hell itself froze over. "Did you give Leo one?"

Finnigan swallowed hard, turning back to face twin unsympathetic looks from the Children of Hephaestus. There was a naked fear in his eyes, the same fear Nyssa imagined Leo had felt when he had been tied down and beaten by these lowlifes. _Good_ , Nyssa thought mercilessly as she and Jake advanced on the bastard that dared to lay a hand on her little brother, _fear was a good place to start_.

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Before we get to the final things, I want to wish all of you wonderful readers with the best of wellness in these troubling times. Please understand that tough times don't last, but tough people do- extend a helping hand to your fellow neighbor or friend during this time of struggle and we'll all get through this pandemic.**_

 _ **Final things:**_

 _ **First, to pinkskyplanet: I don't know what I did to deserve such a consistent reviewer but I thank you regardless :) It fills me with no small amount of pride to know that you continue to enjoy my humble story. Thank you for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :D**_

 _ **Secondly, to Guest (Ch.14): I'm guessing both of those reviews were yours ;) Thank you for your enthusiasm. As I was writing this chapter I realized I had built up the payback quite a bit, I can only hope I satisfied (some) of that in this chapter (the rest will come in that half-chapter wrap up i mentioned at the beginning). I'm glad the style and imagery is translating well- sometimes I find it hard to gauge if I'm going overboard or not, hahaha :P And yes, Leo needs a hug and maybe a good slap upside the head. How dare he think that what happened to him was in any way his fault... even if he**_ **did _provoke them just a liiiitle bit. Thanks again for taking the time to leave some comments!_**

 ** _Lastly, to Woahthere: One, I love your guest nickname! Made me laugh when I read it :) And really?! Thank you! I do enjoy the half-sibling relationship between those two. Even if it's completely just my own headcannon since their names are some of the only ones on riordanwiki :P I'm glad you're enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it! Thanks for the review :)_**

 ** _As usual, if you enjoyed something (or if you hated something) please don't hesitate to drop a comment below. Getting a notification from fanfiction that a new review popped up is one of the best parts of my day (read life) at the moment. It makes me indescribably happy to hear people are enjoying my writing, so don't be a stranger :)_**

 ** _Until next time, enjoy your coronacation! And stay healthy!_**

 ** _-Ardoa88_**


	16. Entry 16: Salutations and a Sendoff

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **2020... why are you trying to kill us? I sincerely hope everyone is staying safe during these trying times. As we all work to accommodate changes in our daily routine, please don't forget to lend a helping hand to your friends and neighbors. In the immortal words of High School Musical: "We're all in this together. And it shows, when we stand hand in hand, make corona go away."**_

 _ **Or something like that.**_

 _ **Speaking of changes, I have good and bad news- so be sure to check out the authors note at the end. But for now- shoutouts and story time!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: Red Renegade 777 and gachawolf 11 for joining the following!**_

 _ **Shoutout to gachawolf 11 for also adding this fanfiction to your favorites list!**_

 _ **Alright, let's get to it! The fifth and final installment of this little arc in the wider tale that is Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry 16: Salutations and a Sendoff**

Leo was a light sleeper. Even after a full night of work, the smallest noise in Bunker Nine could rouse him: the oven timer, the chime of a software upload, even the sound of a pencil clattering to the floor from where it had slipped through his fingers. His head would usually snap up, bleary eyes scanning his surroundings before fully comprehending where he was. Then he would just stretch, yawn, and get back to doing whatever he had been doing.

So the sensation of waking up slowly and in stages was completely unfamiliar.

It started with an awkward self-awareness that he was asleep. Leo _knew_ he wasn't awake, and yet he was conscious enough to fully comprehend the realization. His mind lingered there, in limbo for a long minute- or many minutes, he couldn't tell- before deciding to try and push through the remaining fog of sleep.

Leo felt like he was wading through a bog. That is… if a bog could equate to the endless black void of his mind, and if it could count as 'wading' if he had no physical body to move with.

Yeah… waking up slowly was _really_ strange.

After an indefinite amount of time later, Leo felt like he was breaching the surface of his consciousness. The first thing that registered was that he was lying on something soft. Which was odd, seeing as Leo couldn't remember the last time he'd thought of a worktable as soft.

The next thing he noticed was that the pain in his head had receded to a dull throb rather than a sharp spike. Third thing was that his head had been bothering him in the first place. His eyelids felt heavy, and it took more effort than Leo would've liked to admit to get them open. Once he did, however, he immediately closed them again to block out the mid-afternoon light filtering through the folds of the tent.

Wait.

 _Tent?_

Dragging his eyes back open, Leo turned his head to stare at the rows of beds neatly lined along the sides of the fabric walls. The smell of antiseptic penetrated his senses and Leo's nose scrunched slightly as he realized he was in the camps infirmary. Which only begged the question: _why_ was he in the camps infirmary?

The last thing he remembered was uploading the new system to Festus' circuitry, then taking a shower as Nyssa had suggested before…

Oh.

Well… that would explain the headache.

"Your friends will be glad to see you awake."

Leo's head did a complete one-eighty, causing the room- or rather, tent, to spin dizzyingly at the rapid motion. There was someone standing at his bedside, and when his vision finally decided to focus, he saw it was a cute blond with cropped hair and striking blue eyes. She was wearing a white shirt and jeans, a clipboard cradled in one arm as she scratched something on it with a pen. _Not_ on _the clipboard_ , Leo's mind corrected after a moment, _on the paper clipped to it_.

In the meantime, while his brain supplied him with that very intelligent fact, he stared owlishly up at her. It took another beat to comprehend her words, but his tongue- for the first time he could remember- was still slightly behind the curve. "Uhh… yes?"

Blondie's lips turned down in a pursed frown. She leaned forwards suddenly, staring intently at his face. Leo just blinked, not even fully registering the invasion of his personal space, gaze lingering on the adorable splash of freckles across her nose. He hadn't noticed those before.

"Hmm," Blue eyes narrowed and she nodded as if understanding something. "Will did say there was the possibility of a concussion. We'll just have to monitor it for the time being."

She was talking mostly to herself now, straightening and making another jot on the paper. Muttering under her breath, she moved around his bedside, Leo's head tracking the motion if not for any other reason than to have something to distract him from the jumbled mess that was his mind at the moment. Blondie glanced at her wristwatch, the same frown tugging at her lips again.

"He should be back soon, I can't imagine a fight with Clarisse could last this long."

The name sparked a memory with the Son of Hephaestus, and his wandering thoughts snapped back with a sudden clarity. After all, the only reason he was in this mess to begin with was because he had asked Clarisse and her siblings to back off. And the Daughter of Ares had agreed, or so he'd thought. But maybe…

Maybe she'd lied?

A commotion at the far end of the infirmary drew the attention of patient and nurse alike, Leo having to crane his head around blondie to get a good view.

He almost wished he hadn't.

It was Sherman and Mark, the last people Leo expected to see walking through the entrance. Well, they weren't _really_ walking. Sherman had an arm around the shoulder of another medic, the Son of Ares limping heavily; pained grimaces twisting his features with each step. Some gauze had been hastily wrapped around his foot, but the normally white bandage had already stained through with dark crimson. Mark didn't even have the luxury of being conscious, the guy being carried into the tent on a stretcher. He had mottled blue and purple bruises peppering his arms and legs, along with some none-too-shallow cuts. His nose had been broken too, dried blood leaving red streaks down the lower side of his face.

Blondie was just as shocked. "Will, what in Hades-"

"Victoria-" The medic carrying the front of the stretcher snapped, and the blonde stiffened. "Come give us a hand!"

"R-Right." Blondie- Victoria, apparently, placed down her clipboard on the side table.

"What happened to _them_?" Leo asked, but Victoria had already hurried over to help, leaving Leo's question unanswered.

For all of about two seconds.

"Karma." A new, but familiarly gruff voice said. "At least, the Ares version of it."

Leo's head turned back towards the entrance, frowning when he saw Clarisse marching further into the medic tent, donned in simple workout clothes. What was she doing here? Although, Leo supposed it wasn't all that surprising to see a Cabin Leader worried about their cabinmates. Except for the fact that _this_ particular one was the head of the Ares Cabin: they weren't exactly the caring type.

What _was_ surprising were the two people in the wake of Clarisse's path. Jake and Nyssa seemed to notice Leo at the same time his brain processed the fact that they seemed to have come here _with_ Clarisse. Nyssa pulled up short, her eyes blown wide as she stared for a full second before a relieved smile broke out on her face.

"You're awake!"

Leo himself was beginning to doubt that: surely this was some bizzare fever dream where his siblings were friends with the Ares Cabin Leader, and said Cabin Leader genuinely cared for her half-siblings wellbeing. Yeah, no. Something was definitely off.

Leo pressed down on the matress, levering himself into a more vertical position, "What's going on? What're you guys-" His words choked off with a hiss as a spike of pain lanced through his side. An arm snaked across his midriff as he sank back into the pillows. It felt like his bones were _grating_ against- Leo slammed that train of thought to a stop, swallowing back bile.

Right… He'd forgotten about the ribs.

"Oh, you ' _forgot_ ' did you?"

Aaand he'd said that last bit out loud, hadn't he? Leo pried his eyes open- not remembering when he'd closed them- to see Nyssa now hovering over him, a mixture of anger and concern swirling in her eyes. Jake stood behind her, a similar look of worry gracing his features. Leo tried to smile at them, show them that he was okay, but he was pretty sure it came out as more of a grimace.

Clarisse whistled from where she was at the foot of his bed, the girl leaning over the metal footer as her eyes trailed slowly up and down Leo's bedridden form. "They really did a number on you, pipsqueak."

Nyssa shot her a black look, brows crashing down over her eyes like thunder.

Leo just sighed tiredly, not really in the mood for the Daughter of Ares light taunts. "I told you, it's _Leo_. Or Valdez. Or even The Valdezinator, if you'd prefer. But you still haven't answered my question," he tilted his head in Mark and Sherman's direction. "What happened?"

"A little quid-pro-quo," Clarisse straightened, sparing a brief glance at her cabinmates and crossing her arms. "They ganged up on you, so I gave your siblings here a chance to do the same. By the way," She added, looking at Nyssa. "If you ever wanted to ditch the wrench for a warhammer, I'd make you an honorary member of Cabin Five."

Nyssa scoffed, "Not in a million years."

The Head of Cabin Five simply shrugged, as if she'd expected the rebuttal and wasn't all that disappointed in the show of loyalty. Leo, meanwhile, ping ponged his gaze from the beat up bullies, to Nyssa, and back; the realization that his half-sister had lent a hand in exacting the punishment slowly setting in.

"You mean that _Nys…_ " He trailed off, taking in the myriad of bruises that pockmarked Mark's exposed skin. Leo wasn't sure whether to feel satisfied or scared. "Hey Jake? Next time I think of crossing Nyssa, remind me of this moment." That drew a smile from the older demigod and Jake flashed him a thumbs up.

Leo then turned his attention to Clarisse. "So then, you _didn't_ send them after me?"

A brief look of confusion furrowed Clarisse's brow, then her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You asking me if I would go back on my word?"

While Leo didn't think she would do anything while Nyssa and Jake were here (and certainly not while they were in the _infirmary_ of all places) he did still realize the danger of continuing down that road.

"N-no, of course not, I just- that- what I _meant_ to say was-"

Thankfully, Leo didn't have to figure out exactly what he _had_ meant with the accusation. Victoria proved that he hadn't imagined seeing her as an angel for no reason, as she returned and said, "You do have a mild concussion, nothing serious, thankfully. Just expect to say a few more weird things, and don't take any naps without checking with us."

"So I've only got minor dain bamage?"

Panic lit Nyssa's face for a moment, then she took another look at him and frowned at the sight of his cheeky grin. Her hand twitched as she turned to Victoria. "How long before I can smack him for making jokes like that?"

"Probably a good day or two." Another new voice spoke up, and Leo was about ready to replace his neck with a turntable as his head swiveled once more. The guy who answered was the one carrying the stretcher from earlier. He looked like Victoria's twin, with the same combination of blond hair and blue eyes, and Leo recalled Victoria calling him Will when they'd first come in. "What I'm more concerned about is the ambrosia."

"What about it?" Leo frowned.

"When was the last time you had some?"

The ghost of a taste of enchiladas was spicy on his tongue as he wondered what the food of the gods had to do with this. "Last time I looked at a clock it was sometime after one thirty, I think."

"In the _morning_? Why were you-" Nyssa cut herself off with a palm to her face and a sigh. "Nevermind, forget I asked."

Will nodded at the information. "Then, just to be safe, we'll have to keep you in the infirmary until tomorrow afternoon before giving you any more." He leaned forward, placing the back of his hand on Leo's forehead. "It looks like your fever's gone down, so that's a good sign. But you're still a little hot."

Leo flashed his signature grin, shooting finger guns at the medic. "I'm always hot."

At the comment, Nyssa looked back at Victoria. "A day or two? You sure I can't hit him any sooner than that?"

Rolling her neck, Clarisse jerked a thumb over at her half-siblings. "Same goes for them, then, Solace. No miraculous miracle cures for them until tomorrow evening."

Will's gaze shifted to the injured people in question. "Are you sure?" Leo noticed that the protest wasn't terribly heartfelt, more resigned to the wishes of the Ares Cabin Leader.

"Quid-pro-quo." She said in lieu of an answer, attention shifting back to the Children of Hephaestus. "We're even now, but like I told you, once Annabeth and her posse leave it's fair game." Nyssa nodded an acknowledgement and Clarisse turned abruptly on her heel, marching back towards the infirmary entrance, a hand raised in farewell. "See ya 'round, pipsqueak."

"Excuse us as well," Will said. "But it looks like we have work to do. Call us over if you need anything, okay?"

Leo watched them walk over to their new patients before refocusing his attention on his cabinmates. They both still had an air of concern about them, although Nyssa's gaze held something else in their brown depths. It looked like… Disappointment? Frustration? Leo couldn't discern it, but it felt wrong on his half-sister's face. Nyssa noticed his observation of her and the expression vanished as she schooled her features.

Leo smiled like it hadn't been there to begin with. "So, honest opinion here, is my future as a facial cream commercial star completely ruined?"

Nyssa's jaw ticked while Jake's cracked up into a grin, some of the concern fading from his eyes. "You could definitely act as the 'before' pictures." He said, "But other than that…"

"I guess it was never meant to be." he sighed dramatically, placing a hand- _carefully-_ over his injured chest. Man, it really felt like he'd been rammed in by a ballista- "Oh yeah. Did you guys manage to finish the crossbow bolts?"

Jake blinked at the sudden change in topic, as Nyssa frowned in what he assumed was similar confusion. "What?"

"I've been out at least a day, _si_? Last thing I was doing was trying to get the bolts to stop jamming- the grooves in the shaft had been cut a bit too deep and were catching on the shaft."

"No, Leo." Nyssa said, that same unusual emotion rising on her face before she tamped it back down. "We gave everyone the day off."

They… what? Leo felt a rise of panic as his mind conjured up an image of a certain Daughter of Athena who would be _very_ displeased if she found out about any more delays. He'd promised her the ship would be fully functional and ready to go by the end of the week.

Jake cleared his throat. "Actually, uh, I have it on good authority that some of us- uuuuum, _some_ people may have been champing at the bit to make sure we got that done for you. Found your notes and finished it up."

"Already?" Leo asked in surprise, even as he relaxed knowing that was done. All that was left at this point then was test firing it and manufacturing enough of the projectiles to last them through the quest. And then loading up extra materials so that when something _inevitably_ broke (and no, Leo wasn't an oracle, he just knew it was going to happen at some point) he would be able to fix it en route to this other camp.

"Harley thinks he can get the bolts made by tomorrow morning."

"Woah- no. No, he is _not_ pulling an all nighter while working a flame." As skilled as the younger demigod was in the forge, he wasn't fireproof like Leo; and the hispanic had found Harley multiple times nursing light burns from where he'd nodded off a little too close to the flames. "Tell him to stop playing with fire in his sleep."

Jake laughed at the joke, and Leo instinctively joined in- only to stop as his ribs reminded him that laughing was not something he should be doing at the moment. The wince stole across his face, and despite trying to conceal it, Nyssa's attentive gaze missed nothing. She placed a hand on Jake's shoulders, cutting into their conversation with a muttered word that sounded suspiciously like 'hypocrite'.

"We'll let you get some rest," She continued at a normal volume, her words carefully measured. "And if I hear you're making trouble for Will and his siblings, you'll be in here a bit longer than they originally predicted."

And even though the threat was light and teasing, Leo was still starkly reminded of her ability to follow through on it with a quick glance at the still unconscious Mark. He decided that maybe- just this once- he would make sure not to cross his half-sister.

* * *

The party was a surprise. Which, Leo supposed was the intention.

He'd been released from the infirmary late afternoon of the next day, Will and Victoria insisting he take it easy for the next few hours. Leo was pretty sure their idea of 'taking it easy' differed from his own but he decided not to point that out, glad to finally be saying goodbye to the smell of medicine and hello to the fresh air outside.

He'd gone with Jake to the Bunker to check over the work his siblings had done in his absence, feeling a swell of pride for his cabinmates when he confirmed that the Argo II was well and truly complete. The workshop had been strangely devoid of life, and when he'd asked, Jake had waved off his concern, saying that everyone was back at the cabin, taking a break from work. It felt awkward to be in the Bunker without intending to do any work, and Leo's hands itched to grab a tool, or a fastener, _anything_ to feel like he was being productive.

There was, however, still one thing in the Bunker that was glad to see him. Festus had heralded his return with a roar and a cheerful whirring of gears that echoed through the rafters. Leo happily obliged in the dragon's joy, stroking the celestial bronze snout, taking a polishing cloth to the metal horns, and speaking to him in low tones until Festus was well and truly convinced he was okay. By the time they left the bunker, the sun had already set, the last vestiges of amber fading from the sky to give way to the deep hues of the night.

But to Leo's surprise, Jake had turned not towards the dining pavillion, but the ring of cabins.

"Since when do you skip meals?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jake had smirked back. "We're not skipping dinner. West not eating with the rest of the camp tonight."

When they reached Cabin Nine, Jake gestured for Leo to go in first, the hispanic shooting the older demigod a strange look but obliging, shouldering open the heavy door and making his way into-

"WELCOME BACK!"

Leo nearly jumped out of his skin at the disjointed shout, seeing his cabinmates spring out from their hiding places as a confetti cannon blasted colorful paper into the air. Several handheld poppers went off as well, the _bang's_ echoing around the room as streamers joined the mess of confetti.

A variety of colorful pastel balloons were tied to sections of the room, the printed 'Happy Birthday' lettering scribbled over with a sharpie to make way for the penned in phrases 'Welcome Back!' and 'Good Luck Out There!' instead. The worktables had been cleared from the center of the cabin, lined up along the wall with stacks of party foods, snacks, and soda's. In the back, Leo could see they'd set up Nelson's stereo system; the tall black speakers flanking a mini DJ soundboard.

Leo was speechless. "You guys…. I… this is…."

"What this is, is your party." Jake said, stepping over the threshold and slinging an arm around Leo's shoulder. "Since the Argo's finished, you and the others will be heading off within the week. And we can't very well let our Cabin Leader leave without a proper sendoff. Oh- and it wouldn't be a proper sendoff without this."

With a nod from Jake, Harley stepped forwards, a flat pane of metal in his hands. The younger demigod smiled as he handed it to Leo before stepping back. His siblings watched with a pregnant air between them as Leo inspected the polished sheet of celestial bronze. He flipped it over and his breath hitched at what he saw. Laser etched on the top of the metal were the words 'Crew of the Argo II' and beneath it…

The space beneath it was filled with the scribed signatures of his cabinmates. Some had included well wishes for the quest beneath their name, others leaving just generally encouraging notes. Harley had even done his best to draw an image of Festus above his name, somehow managing to dye the metal red where the animatronics eyes were. One spot in the center of the sheet had been left clear, the large oval of unscratched bronze standing out among the names.

It was beautiful. Leo's throat bobbed as he tried to swallow past the sudden tightness in his chest, blinking to try and clear the mist from his eyes. What words could he say to convey how touched he was by the memento?

"Now, we were able to get _almost_ everyone's signature. But we were missing one key crewmember." Jake spoke in Leo's silence. "Only, I seem to have misplaced my scribe… anyone here have a scribe Leo can use?"

The question, asked to the rest of the cabin inhabitants, went unanswered and Jake hummed with a shrug. "Guess not- come to think of it! I think I saw one by your bunk, Leo. Why don't we go have a look?"

"Y-yeah," Leo cleared his throat to try and take out the slight wobble in it. "Okay."

Offering a gentle smirk, Jake steered him through the crowd, their siblings making a path for their Cabin Leader. When they reached Leo bunk, he couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from his core, the sound light and happy as he saw what they'd done.

His toolbelt had been fixed. The place where Sherman had torn it was masterfully sewn back together with neat crosshatch stitches in a way that made it look like it had been there since the beginning. Leo unhooked it from where it hung on the wall, slipping it around his waist and clicking the belt together with a crisp _snap_. The familiar weight relieved a tension Leo hadn't noticed, the mechanic finally feeling complete now that his tools were once again at his fingertips.

"You guys are the best." Leo finally said, meaning it with every fiber of his being. He reached into one of the pouches, pulling out a metal scribe and hovering the tip over the blank space in the celestial bronze plaque. It paused there for a long moment, then Leo looked up, taking in the rapt attention of his half-brothers and sisters.

"I mean it." He said, meeting each and every gaze that looked back at him. "I couldn't have done this- _any_ of this, without you guys. I know I'm not one for speeches, and I'm certainly not going to start now, but _thank you_. If we- _When_ we stop Gaea, it will be because _you_ all made it possible. The members of Cabin Nine are the real heroes here, and don't you forget it."

"Well said!" Jake's voice boomed with delight as he slapped a wide hand against Leo's back, sending the smaller demigod stumbling forward a step. "But all we really wanted you to do was sign the damn metal."

A chorus of laughter echoed around the room and Leo found himself joining in. With a flourish of the tool he etched his name into the center, taking up the entire space. "Hancock eat your heart out- Alright! Who's ready to party!"

His cabinmates whooped and cheered as someone cranked up the music, the sound blasting through the stereo speakers hard enough for the floor to vibrate in time with the bass beats. A disco ball lowered from a retracted ceiling panel and the cabin lights dimmed as colorful directed lights filled the air. Some of his siblings headed for the snack tables while others hit the dance floor, bobbing and swaying to the music.

As if to remind him he'd yet to have dinner, Leo's stomach grumbled, the demigod more so feeling than hearing the complaint from his digestive tract. He stored the metal plaque carefully in the locker beneath his bunk and made his way to the opposite side of the room. As he grabbed some pizza rolls from the snack table, Leo saw that they'd even made him a cake! Or, what was certainly trying to _look_ like a cake. It was handmade, the cake itself a bit lopsided and lumpy, reminding Leo of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. To compensate for the lack of cosmetic appeal, it's baker had tried to cover the flaws with copious amounts of frosting, which only resulted in the cake appearing less than appetizing.

A small sign had been taped to the wall above the monstrosity, reading: No eating until Leo gets back- that means you, Nyssa.

Leo chuckled as he read it, the laughter falling away slowly as he realized he hadn't actually _seen_ his half-sister since getting back to the cabin. Not that they were joined at the hip or anything, but her absence made his heart clench as he was reminded of that peculiar expression she'd been wearing during her visit at the infirmary. Some sixth sense telling him that something wasn't right.

Craning his head over the other partiers, Leo realized Nyssa wasn't even in the cabin; her vibrant bandana nowhere to be seen among the sea of heads. Maybe she was in the lower workshop? But when he poked his head down to check he saw the forge was empty. Leo made his way back to the main floor, wondering where she could have disappeared to when he saw the cabin door was slightly ajar.

Maybe she was outside? She hadn't been when he and Jake first arrived, but maybe she slipped out after the initial surprise bit. It was as good a place as any to look, so Leo wove his way through his cabinmates and stepped out into the night.

The sun had long since set, and stars twinkling in the vast expanse of night speckled the sky like so many freckles. The music from inside was muffled by the brick walls of Cabin Nine, even as the pounding bass vibrated through the wooden porch boards. A cool, post winter breeze whispered through Camp Half-Blood; carrying with it the scent of forest pines and burnt marshmallows from where a few other campers still gathered around the fire pit in the middle of the ring of cabins.

Seated on the top step of the three stairs leading up to the cabin was Nyssa, the older demigod's head tilted back some to stare up at the heavens in quiet contemplation. Leo moved to sit beside her, seeing Nyssa's eyes flick down at him for a split second before returning to their skyward observation.

Neither of them spoke for a long moment. Both simply enjoying the companionable silence between them, even as Leo noted that Nyssa's shoulders were still a bit too stiff, her lips pressed a bit too thin for her to be completely relaxed.

"You know," Leo spoke after another minute had passed, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the residual noise from the party. "They're about to cut the cake, if you're not there when they do you might not get a piece. Although, people are still taking bets as to whether or not it'll even be edible."

Nyssa didn't answer for a few seconds, and Leo felt a twinge of unease when his joke didn't improve her mood. Usually even his most corny ones would be able to draw a wry smile, or a roll of her eyes.

Nyssa's tone was serious when she answered. "I just need some space to think. It's too loud in there."

And if that wasn't a subtle way to say 'Leave me alone' Leo would eat his hammer. But something was clearly bothering his older half-sister, and therefore it was Leo's duty as not only her Cabin Leader, but as her brother and her _friend_ to try to help however he could. And to do that he first had to find out what was wrong; which meant staying by Nyssa's side for the time being.

"Oh? You reconsidering Clarisse's offer?" Leo knew the answer to that was probably a negatory, but he figured he had to start somewhere.

"Gods no." Nyssa snorted, the action much more familiar than her rigid silence. "Like I'd ever want to be associated with the Ares kids." She fell back into her thoughts, head rotating to stare out over the campgrounds. "It's not true, you know."

Hmm. Maybe his initial assumption was wrong after all? If Nyssa was trying to assure him she wasn't planning to defect to Cabin Five (which Leo still doubted was an actual thing they could do) then maybe Clarisse's offer _had_ rattled her.

"What, the whole 'honorary member' thing? I figured." Leo waved a hand. "It's not like you can change which godly parent you were born to."

"I'm not talking about that." And finally, _finally_ she turned to look him in the eyes for the first time since he'd left the infirmary. But her eyes were as sharp as the honed edge of a celestial bronze sword, the words on her tongue pointed and accusatory as she said, " _Todo es mi culpa_? That's not ture."

The language shift threw him off. Since when did Nyssa know Spanish? But the phrase itself sounded vaguely familiar. Back at the infirmary, Will had told him that Nyssa and Jake had been the one who'd brought him in. Which only stood to reason that they'd been the ones to find him in the Bunker. And Leo was ninety-eight percent sure his 'dream' about a Nyssa-looking-minnie mouse had actually been a memory of that moment. So then… maybe Nyssa hadn't learned Spanish overnight but was just repeating a phrase she'd heard.

A phrase he'd said.

Leo broke eye contact with the older demigod, taking his turn to look out across the moonlit camp. "Oh… well, I did kinda provoke them a bit. I knew they were looking for a fight, but I still didn't keep my mouth shut. And I _was_ the one who started it all by asking Clarisse to-"

"Then you're an idiot."

The delivery of those four words hit Leo like a semi-truck; stealing the air from his lungs. She didn't say it as an insult, or a joke. She stated it as surely as she would any other fact; the blunt reality of truth coating her words. Hands clenching at his sides, Leo was unable to suppress a wince.

That… that had hurt ten times worse than anything Sherman or Mark had done. Mostly because it was true. Leo wasn't a genius, he knew that. He never pretended to be smarter than he was, starkly aware of his limitations despite his bragging and boasting as if they weren't there. He was reminded of it constantly from teasing jokes and playful jabs from his friends (none of which were truly meant to insult), of which he would return in good natured fun.

Hearing it from _Nyssa_? From one of the few people in his cabin- let alone the entire camp- who actually took his ideas seriously, who valued and appreciated his mechanical knowledge. Making him feel, to a degree, intelligent; like he could _do_ something that no one else could. Making him feel like he belonged, like he wasn't a third wheel. Hearing it from her was like being stabbed in the gut.

He tried to shove those emotions away, wanting to put on a smile for Nyssa so that she wouldn't realize how much it had hurt. But he couldn't do it. Not this time.

"Because only an _idiot_ would think that you were in any way at fault for what happened." Nyssa's voice had softened considerably, and Leo felt a gentle weight of her hand descend on his shoulder as she continued. "How was it your fault that those goons decided to attack you?"

Leo still didn't look at her, focusing on keeping his voice level as he spoke around the lump in his throat. "Like I was saying, _I_ was the one who started it by going to Clarisse-"

"And why did you ask her to back off?" The interruption was accompanied by a tightening of the hand on his shoulder. Leo frowned, not quite understanding what his sibling was getting at. "Do you remember, or should I remind you that there was a _reason_ you went and talked to the Head of Cabin Five."

That morning felt like an age ago but Leo wouldn't soon forget it. "I was there…. To ask them to stop harassing us until the Argo was complete."

"Exactly."

The pride in Nyssa's voice was unexpected. Her hand left it's perch on Leo's shoulder and he looked back up, brow creased as he tried to piece together what Nyssa was getting at.

"You weren't the one who started bullying our siblings." She said. "And you weren't the one who decided to disobey the order of a senior camper. You _were_ the one to stand up for your cabin and your cabinmates. You _were_ the one who approached _Clarisse,_ of all people, and make a request she actually agreed to. So go ahead and tell me again how _any_ of this was your fault."

Well he'd… he had… it was him who was responsible for...

Nyssa nodded after a minute of silence on Leo's part as he tried and failed to come up with a counter point. "So stop being an idiot, and start being the Cabin Leader we all know you are.

Leo felt his cheeks burn from the underhanded compliment, gaze dropping from the older demigod. "You're right." He admitted. "I was being stupid. I'm sor-"

"If you say you're sorry one more time, so help me gods, I will march over to the Bunker and deactivate Festus for the rest of the week."

"Y-You wouldn't-" Leo's head snapped back up only to see that she _totally_ would. He swallowed, reevaluating his choice of words. "Then… thank you, for…" His voice trailed off as he realized he had a _lot_ to thank Nyssa for, but most importantly, " _Gracias, por ser la mejor hermana del mundo_."

Nyssa smiled wanly. "You know I don't have a clue of what half of those words mean, but you're welcome anyway. Now c'mon-" She pushed herself up, dusting off her pants before extending her hand. "You can't very well be absent for your own sendoff party!"

Leo returned the grin, taking the offered appendage. "Don't play coy with me. You just don't want to miss out on the cake."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I'm the one that cleaned out the cooking pan- I dunno how, but there were definitely some metal shavings melted to the glass."

Leo had to stop and shudder at the image that provided, and when he started to catch up to his sibling stopped with a frown. "Um, Nys- why did you use a weed-whacker on your hair?"

"What?" Nyssa paused, the hand that had been reaching for the door instead moving to feel the back of her head. Her fingers reached the area Leo had mentioned, a look of complete and utter befuddlement crossing her eyes as she felt the several inch difference in strand length. Her expression darkened and a scowl twisted her lips, hand falling to her side and clenching into a fist.

Sooo, maybe he shouldn't have said anything, Leo realized a bit too late, taking a careful step away from his half-sister who looked about two seconds away from hitting something. A fire burned in her eyes, one that- in Leo's opinion- far surpassed the intensity of any glare Clarisse could muster up.

"Because Jake really, _really_ wanted to be mucking out the pegasus stables. Alone. Every day," she felt it again and took a deep breath, adding, "until it grows back."

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Okay so...**_

 _ **Good News: We're finally out of the camp stage of this one-shot fanfiction! Yay! Now I get to warp reality a bit and write scenes that take place DURING the actual quest. There will be a few chapters (2-3) taking place BEFORE the group reaches Camp Jupiter, and then a couple of scenes from that point onward.**_

 _ **Bad News:**_ _ **I left the Mark of Athena book in my apartment when I came home from college for the semester (O.o) Meaning that I don't have the proper reference material for when those cannon scenes are written... oops. Good thing I still have a few chapters before those scenes come up! Hopefully by the time I get to the Argo II's arrival at Camp Jupiter I'll have found some way to get the text back in my possession (be it online or in person).**_

 _ **Final things,**_

 _ **First, to Ensis96: Firstly, thanks again for being my amazing beta :) I don't think readers realize how much of this creativity comes from your amazing suggestions and ideas. And yes, Clarisse is a badass that was underappreciated in Uncle Ricks original stories. I love this side of her too, the grudging respectful side that is usually covered up by stereotypical-Ares hot-hotheadedness. Thanks again for being the absolute best!**_

 _ **Secondly, to EricaEEE: Oh wow! That's... thank you :D High praise indeed- I hope this email update made you smile as much as your review made me. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far, and I hope you continue to look forwards to these sparodic updates. Thanks for your review!**_

 _ **Next, to JackReaper28: I'm glad you were able to catch up :) And oh yeah, that fight scene was a fun one to write out- it's not often that I get to write a fight scene from the audience perspective. The drama was hyped up for these last few chapters for sure! I do enjoy my share of tension and suspense, as all writers do ;P I hope you enjoyed the conclusion of this arc!**_

 _ **Next, to Dragon08: It makes me beyond happy to hear that you were able to immerse yourself in my story! That is the goal of every writer so to hear that I was able to capture your imagination so fully is an amazing compliment :) I'll continue to maintain that standard as long as you also promise to stay safe during this uncertain time. Thanks for your review!**_

 _ **Next to Guest (Ch. 15): Here you go! Sorry for the wait, the pandemic has thrown things a bit out of wack but I should be getting back to a regular schedule soon. Thanks for the encouragement!**_

 _ **Lastly, to gachawolf 11: Thanks again for favoriting and following :) I always love when people enjoy a story so fully as to encourage faster updates. I hope it was worth the wait- thanks for the review!**_

 _ **And that's all for today.**_ _ **Like I said, I'll be working to find a copy of MOA to reference from when I get to those cannon-compliant chapters. I may have to warp reality a bit and create more time during the quest for these scenes to happen, but I plan on extending some moments from the original books (i.e. a deeper look into what happened after Leo fired on Camp Jupiter, as well as his repairs after becoming the Bad Boy Supreme with Echo).**_

 _ **As always, leave me a comment or review below if you liked something about the chapter. Hearing from y'all is super motivating and I treasure each and every critique (positive or negative).**_

 _ **Wishing you all well until next time,**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


	17. Entry 17: The Night Before

_**Hello readers!**_

 _ **I hope everyone have staved off the stir craziness from quarantine up until this point. I have successfully not gone insane by binge watching tv shows: I'm sure it's a totally healthy way to deal with self-isolation ;)**_

 _ **Kidding, kidding... mostly.**_

 _ **Onto the important stuff!**_

 _ **Shoutout to TelionOfHemwick for joining the following!**_

 _ **Shoutouts to: OceanLover4712 and TelionOfHemwick for enjoying this enough to give the favorite button a click!**_

 _ **I also managed to finish the next chapter so I won't waste any more time! Please enjoy the 17th installment of Leo's Logbook!**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_

* * *

 **Entry 17: The Night Before**

Leo couldn't sleep. Which was strange for two main reasons: 1) Leo was actually _trying_ to get to sleep, instead of surrendering to unconsciousness from sheer exhaustion, and 2) Leo was sleeping in his bed for a change, a soft bed with pillows and not a solid metal workbench.

Correction- Leo was not _sleeping_ in his bed, he was lying awake in his bed, staring up at the bottom of the bunk above his own, where his half-sibling's foot had slipped over the side. There was a sock on said foot, the end of which was dangling precariously from the toes so that Leo was able to count the five holes in the fabric. Five holes. One or two, Leo could understand but _five_? At that point it would make more sense to turn it into a shirt for a mouse.

… _A shirt for a mouse?_

Leo reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. Gods did he really just think that?

Reopening his eyes, Leo draped his arm behind his head, shifting so that he was staring at the far side of the cabin instead. The back of one of his half-siblings was there to greet him, the slow rise and fall of the blanket indicating that whoever it was was well and truly asleep. After another fifteen minutes of enviously watching his cabinmate achieve what he was currently unable to do, Leo turned back to stare at the sock. He tried to relax his mind but it was no use; thoughts flitted through his brain at a relentless pace. Tired eyes slid sideways to glance at the clock by his bed: it was only half past midnight.

Only seven and a half hours to go.

Seven and a half hours before he, Jason, Piper, and Annabeth left to go save the world.

His stomach churned at the thought so he tried to shove it from his mind.

It didn't work. He wondered if there was going to be more fighting on their way to this other camp. If their last endeavor to save Piper's dad was anything to judge by, then yes. Yes, there was a ninety-five percent chance of having to fend off some kind of mythical monster. Or even… even more giants. Leo swallowed thickly at the reminder of the towering behemoths from the abandoned factory. He hoped not, even as he realized that stuff like that was probably standard saving-the-world quest material. Death defying experiences were likely hidden inside the fine print of demigod prophecies.

… Did people even write down prophecies, or was everyone just expected to memorize them?

After another thirty minutes passed, Leo resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight. At least not at this rate. He needed to distract himself somehow, take his mind off of the quest.

With a quiet sigh, Leo swung his legs over the side of his bunk, slipping into his shoes and making his way towards the door. He went slowly, carefully, doing his best to avoid all of the squeaky floorboards. So focused was he on the ground that he completely forgot about the door itself- it opened a third of the way before a high pitched whine pierced the air.

Leo froze immediately, the sound cutting off almost as quickly. Silence slowly reclaimed the cabin, Leo's gaze wandering over the forms of his sleeping cabinmates, seeing nothing other than some rolling heads and low, groggy mumbles. The breath he'd held left in a rush, and he slipped through the thin opening, making sure to close the door with more caution than he had opening it.

The night was warmer than it had been in a while, something Leo was grateful for, as the warmer temperatures would help keep the engines from icing over during their flight tomorrow. He angled away from the central fire pit, sticking to the half shadows cast in the moonlight. Chiron was still mandating nightly patrols, and although they weren't as strict as they had been at the start of the year, Leo wasn't about to gamble with the potential consequences of being caught out after curfew.

 _What're they gonna do, put you on stable duty?_ His restless mind inquired. _You're leaving tomorrow so it's not like they can really punish you_.

Unless they took him off of the quest. His feet pulled up short at the mental counter argument. They- they wouldn't do that. Would they? Suddenly his head was filled with the image of him mucking out the pegasi stables while Jason, Piper, and Annabeth waved goodbye from the bow of the Argo II as it took off from the camp without him.

Leo blinked, then shook his head, as if the physical motion would dislodge the mental picture. He was thinking in hypotheticals again, and that never led anywhere good. Instead he focused on the ground beneath his feet as he slipped past the rock wall and the arts and crafts pavillion. Both places were still fairly forign, and it dawned on him that he actually hadn't had the chance to use most of the amenities of the camp even though he'd been here for nearly a year.

Granted, the first half of that year he was on a quest to save the goddess Hera and Piper's dad from Gaea's giants- another shudder rippled down his spine at the memory- but the latter half was solely due to working on the Argo II.

He supposed he should have felt slighted for missing out on camp activities but… he wasn't. It was a bit strange, since Jason and Piper had told him of all the fun they'd been having with training and team-building games. But where Leo should have felt envious or, at the very least upset about being excluded, there was nothing. No jealousy or anger, not even a hint of resentment that his friends were having fun without him. Although, the more he thought about it, maybe it wasn't so strange, seeing as he only felt truly comfortable around his tools and machines.

The hum of cicadas announced his arrival in the forest, a vast stretch of woodlands hugging the west side of Camp Half-Blood. For most, the woods were a complex maze of endless trails and unexplored undergrowth; full of nymphs and satyrs, and a handful of the (arguably) less vicious monsters from Greek mythology that lurked in the deeper section of the forest. For Leo, it was the final obstacle between him and his destination.

His shoes padded softly on the dirt, following the footpath created by his siblings from the months of travel to and from the bunker. Even with the canopy above filtering out the majority of the moonlight, Leo moved with a surety and confidence until the towering metal building came into view.

He reached for the door, ignoring the squeal of the hinges as it sung open; out here, he was in no danger of waking up his half-siblings. Leo stepped across the threshold and paused, one hand still propping the door open as he took a deep breath of the slightly stale bunker air.

There was something about just being in the hanger that relieved some of the tension from Leo's shoulders. The scent of engine oil and grease comforting in a way that the Hispanic had never been able to accurately convey to his friends. It was… it was almost like he was home.

Like if he closed his eyes he was still a kid in his mothers workshop, surrounded by beat-up cars and the smiling, smear-stained faces of her co-workers as he struggled to pick up a particularly large spanner wrench. He could hear them laugh, hear them say how he was growing up to be a 'chip off the old block' to which he would look up with confusion in his eyes and declare that blocks didn't eat chips because they didn't have mouths. Their laughter would only grow louder, the rough chortles of the men interspersed with the lighter bells of his mother's voice joining in as she ruffled her hand through his uncombed hair.

But when Leo opened his eyes there were no rusting cars to greet his sight. The chuckles faded with the memory to be replaced with the soft drone of cicadas outside in the woods. His heart clenched with a sudden rush of grief. Leo's hand fell to his side, the door swinging shut behind him and cutting off what little light had filtered through from the entrance. The darkness enveloped him like a blanket and Leo welcomed it; glad that it would hide the glossy sheen of moisture that filled his eyes.

It took a good minute or two for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light (not that he needed light to navigate the space he'd practically lived in for the past half of a year), and a good minute or two more until he was able to get a handle on his fractured emotions. With a sniff, Leo dashed the back of his hand across his eyes; and then he did it again just to make sure the tears were well and truly gone.

After all, he'd come to the bunker for a reason- and that reason wasn't to cry over things that had already happened. He didn't have the luxury to dwell on his past mistakes when he still had a job to do. He had to make sure he was ready for the quest, had to make sure he didn't make any _more_ mistakes with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

No pressure, right?

Leo didn't even bother answering his own sarcastic question as his fingers twitched, itching for something to do. After another moment to take a collective breath, the Son of Hephaestus obliged, swinging by one of the work benches and snatching up a headlamp and a screwdriver. He made his way up on deck and paused again, glancing towards the masthead. His hand drummed against his hip as he considered turning on the dragon, then ultimately decided against it: he didn't want to be lectured by Festus about not getting enough sleep before the big day.

The headlamp cast sharp shadows against the far wall as Leo worked his way through the ship, opening every access panel and ensuring the components within were properly positioned. Not that he had reason to suspect they weren't. Quite the opposite, in fact. His siblings had done a fantastic job, and it was rather satisfying to see everything in working order with nothing wrong. His mother's voice flitted through his thoughts, and Leo found himself echoing her words aloud.

"Can't know what's wrong until you know what's right." It was one of her favorite sayings, and Leo agreed wholeheartedly.

Process of elimination only worked if you knew where to start, usually leading to findging dozens of perfect, flawless pieces before determining that a single chipped lugnut was ruining the flow of the entire machine. A well oiled machine was like a team. The revelation wasn't anything groundbreaking. Leo himself had made the comparison countless times during their first quest. He, Jason, and Piper were like cogs in a gearbox, no two were the same, but the teeth of each gear fit together in a seamless manner that complimented the others. Take one out and the machine would fail completely. Each piece had a specific part to play in the proper function of any mechanism.

His hands kept moving with practiced motions while he mused- It didn't take long for the process of unlocking the dzus fasteners, dropping the panel, checking and refastening the quarter turn screws became a smooth rhythm; easing into a patten that Leo's hands knew how to knit with practiced ease. _This_ was what he was good at. And no, he wasn't bragging, just stating a fact. When it came to machines and mechanics and complex constructs Leo was entirely in his element.

What he _wasn't_ good at was… well, that was a rather long and detailed list.

Fighting and combat chief among them. Jason was already good with his sword-spear coin, and even Piper had improved her skills with her mirror dagger. Leo had seen her and Annabeth sparring together more than a few times when he passed by the arena. The older demigod giving pointers to the younger girl on how to compensate for the shorter blade length. It was… impressive, to say the least. Leo could only offer a smile and words of encouragement when Piper had talked at dinner one night about all of the things she was learning. And Annabeth herself was one of the oldest demigods in the camp, so Leo held little reservations about her ability to hold her own in a scuffle.

Leo was also not a people person. He tended to insult with his well-meaninged jokes and annoy instead of charm. Luckily for them, Piper was well-practiced at smoothing any feathers he ruffled. She was an amazing negotiator in general. Sure it helped that she had the ability to literally call someone back from the dead with her charmspeak, but even before coming into her powers Piper had always commanded an air of confidence and personability about her. Making friends was never difficult for the Daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo was sure that would come in handy when trying to make allies at the other camp. Not to mention that Jason had originally come from the Roman camp (not that he could remember it thanks to a certain goddess), so as long as Leo kept his mouth shut they should be good in that department.

Annabeth was the brains of their group- of that Leo could not deny, no matter how frustrating her wealth of knowledge could be at times. Leo's knuckles whitened around the handle of the screwdriver as he recalled the number of times the older demigod had come to the hanger, telling them how to do something they _already knew_ how to do: As if her hours of research on a topic was oh-so-much better than their years of hand-on experience. Even then nothing she's said had actually been _wrong,_ much to Leo's frustration, more just mis-timed to where they were in the project. Which had been just wonderful to try and fail to explain in the heat of the moment.

This Percy person they were going to go get was apparently a literal _god_ at everything. He was a good fighter, a good talker, had a good head of his shoulders despite being a goofball.

Leo already didn't like him.

He knew he was being unfair, he _knew_ he had no right to judge the guy without even meeting him, but…. but if this Big Three Kid was half as amazing as everyone said he was, then what was Leo's role supposed to be? Repair Boy Extraordinaire? The guy who flies the ship and sometimes cooks tofu burgers and tacos? That wasn't a very comforting thought. It coiled in his gut like a snake- a poisonous one whose venom was slowly and painfully eating away at him from the inside out.

Leo's hands slowed, shoulders slumping. What was he really good for, then? Honestly it would probably be better if they took someone like Nyssa or- hell, even _Clarisse_ could provide some form of fighting prowess for the group. Something useful.

"I would say I'm surprised, but honestly, at this point I'm convinced you're part machine yourself."

Leo blinked in confusion for half a second before realizing the voice that just spoke was not in his head. Turning, he saw Jake leaning against the entry to the engine room, hair tousled and unkempt, arms crossed, and an eyebrow raised in quizzical fashion despite the bags pulling at the skin beneath his eyes.

"Though, I will admit I have no idea what you're running off of." The former cabin leader continued, "It's not coffee, and it's _definitely_ not sleep, so..."

Eventually, Leo found his voice, abandoning the panel to stand and face his half-sibling. "Jake! What're you doing here? It's-" he glanced at the clock on the far wall, "-almost two in the morning."

"Incredible." Jake mumbed, running a hand down his face and covering a deep yawn. "Must be a mind reader too since you took the words right out of my mouth. What happened to 'getting some sleep before the big day'?"

"I was- I was just checking some of the, uh-"

"Getting the pre-quest jitters, huh?"

Leo went to reply, instinctively opening his mouth with a ready denial and a deliberate change of topic on his tounge. But before the words could pass through his lips, he paused, his brain just then starting to function at something over minimum capacity. The facts clicked together methodically: Jake was here, in the bunker, at o-dark-thirty in the morning. Which meant he already knew the answer to that question before he'd asked it, or else he wouldn't have bothered following Leo out of the cabin in the middle of the night.

At Leo's open-mouthed silence, Jake's lips twitched up in a satisfied half grin. "Gonna take that as a 'yes'."

"...yeah." Leo agreed, reaching up with one hand to rub the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you on my way out. I just, needed some air."

"And something to do to distract you from the nerves, eh?" Jake said, nodding towards the opened panel and giving voice to the unspoken confession from the younger demigod. He pushed away from the doorway and moved to sit on the cot- Nyssa's cot- that Leo had set up besides the engine's reduction gearbox.

"No apology necessary, I know that feeling well enough. Hey, don't make that face" Jake continued, when Leo leveled a skeptical look his way. "I'm serious. I'm not _just_ manly, studly physique and rugged handsome looks."

There was a slight edge to the words, and Leo winced internally, hoping he hadn't just crossed a line. Jake didn't… he didn't think that's all there was to him. Did he?

"I just make it _look_ easy." The former head counselor winked, his voice back to its normal cheer.

Of course not.

Leo's hands fiddled with the screwdriver as he bit his lip, rolling it between his fingers. And why would he even have a reason to think that? Jake was an accomplished demigod, after all. He'd led Cabin Nine for years before Leo arrived and he was one of the most skilled riggers Leo'd ever met. Sure, he was a bit of a ladies man; he spent his spare time buddying up with the Daughters of Aphrodite when he wasn't working on a side project. But he was more than his good looks and he knew it.

Jake's eyes shifted down slightly, narrowing on the motion of the simple tool before his gaze returned to Leo's face. He pursed his lips, looking over towards the far wall and when he spoke his tone was serious.

"Y'know, on my first quest, I was a nervous wreck. Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, could barely drink even- was probably dangerously dehydrated. Hephaestus' Beard- I checked my bag nearly a dozen times because I thought I'd forgotten to pack something." His eyes slid back to Leo, who had stopped fiddling with the screwdriver to listen. "You know what snapped me out of it?"

Leo thought for a moment, then gestured towards the open panel with a halfhearted half-smile. "Check the hydraulic crossfeed valves a few more times?"

"No- though that's definitely not something you should leave unfinished." He said, looking at the opened panel absently. "What actually helped was that someone asked me a _very_ important question."

"What question?"

Jake looked meaningfully at the open panel, and Leo quickly replaced the fasteners, sensing that whatever this query was required all of his attention. When he'd finished, Jake patted the space beside him on the cot, inviting Leo to join him.

The dark blue fabric sagged under their combined weight, the only sound the steady thrumm of the engine providing reserve power to the systems. Leo's hands twisted in his lap as Jake placed a hand on his shoulder, meeting the younger demigod's gaze with an intense stare. Leo swallowed slightly as Jake drew a breath.

"Did you remember to pack the baby wipes?"

Leo choked on his own saliva, raising a hand and coughing roughly into it while his mind attempted to process the question. The sound slowly morphed into a laugh as Leo regained his breath.

"Okay," he said once he'd regained the ability to speak, his voice still a bit breathless. "I take it all back. Your sense of humor is actually better than sub par. You really got me with that… one…"

Leo's words trailed off into silence when he saw that Jake's expression hadn't changed; save for a hint of exasperation in his dark eyes. So then that… _hadn't_ … been a joke?

"...Baby wipes?"

"Baby wipes." Jake echoed, folding his arms. "Where do you think you'll be staying while you're out there in the big wide world- at a fancy motel 6 or a bad and breakfast inn? Trust me, they may not save your life, but baby wipes will certainly save your sanity if not your nose."

Leo scoffed, the grin still not entirely gone from his face. That might have been valuable advice _last time_ he'd been outside of the camp. Sleeping in sewers, while nothing explicitly new for him, was still an experience he'd rather not recreate on a regular basis. But this time…

"Only, I _do_ know where I'll be sleeping." Leo spread his arms out to either side, "I mean, we built the ship for a reason.

That finally seemed to crack Jake's intense form as he blinked, slumping backwards against the wall and pursing his lips. "Huh… I guess you're right." He flapped a hand, his words carrying the more familiar light-hearted element they usually did. "Well, for those of us who _didn't_ have the luxury of riding a flying dragon boat, it was _very_ critical advice."

"I'm sure it was." Leo was unable to keep the smile from his eyes and Jake rolled his own to the ceiling. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

"Don't mention it- seriously, don't. I can't _believe_ I forgot the onboard shower system we installed." Jake rubbed at his eyes. "I mean, I helped _design_ the gods dammed thing too, ugh." He ran his hand down his face. "My brain is seriously lagging right now. But, back to the matter at hand, I don't see why you're all worked up. You've already been on one quest already."

And just like that the knot of stress and tension Leo had managed to ignore for the past few minutes returned, settling in his stomach like a fifty pound weight. The younger demigod's grin vanished and he looked down at the floor, folding his hands in his lap as he leaned on his knees.

"That one didn't involve the fate of the world hanging in the balance. A-and what about when I make a mistake? Last time we managed to get out of things okay- barely." His hands clenched, voice lowering to a murmur. "I just don't want to mess things up like I did before."

The cot shifted beneath him as Jake leaned forward too. "Leo, you're going to make mistakes, it's inevitable so there's no use worrying about that."

"Thanks, Jake. That makes me feel _so_ much better."

The sarcasm only seemed to amuse his half-brother, and Leo foot began tapping on the floor, shoulders hunching. How was any of this funny? Didn't Jake realize people could _die_ if he screwed up?

"I'm not trying to sugar coat it. Seriously, I made more mistakes on my quest than I can count- and I can count to at least thirty-two so that's saying something." Jake paused for a moment, then sighed when Leo remained tense. "But that's why you have your teammates. They're there to cover your back when you fall and you're there to do the same for them. You'll make mistakes, the key is making sure you don't make the same one twice; that you _learn_ from it. The fact that you're even up at this ungodly hour of the night triple checking system components that I know _you_ know are perfectly fine says a lot."

"Sure, it says I'm a paranoid insomniac." Leo muttered, then he sighed, pushing himself to his feet and pacing a few steps towards the center of the room. "You don't get it, the prophecy said 'to storm or fire the world must fall'. Storm or fire. Jake, _I'm_ fire," Leo whirled around, holding out his hands and summoning a small flame to be cradled between his fingers.

The older demigod flinched back with surprise at the sudden appearance of the flickering ember. Something deep in Leo's heart tightened at the reaction, even knowing it was purely instinctive. He closed his hands into fists, extinguishing the small blaze and dropping them to his sides as if that would hide the fact that they were shaking. Instead he moved his feet, walking a few steps one way before spinning and walking back as he talked.

"Which means there's a fifty percent chance that it'll be _me_ who- who…" Leo swallowed hard, trying and failing to put that thought out of his mind. His chest felt tight, like he wasn't getting enough air and words started tumbling from his lips. "It said _must_. Not 'can' or 'may', but _must_. The world _must_ fall. Meaning it has to happen at some point before this is all over and I- what if _I_ 'm the reason why-"

The sound of metal scraping on metal was the only warning he got before a pair of hands gripped his shoulders hard, stilling his relentless pacing.

"Okay, enough." Jake's voice cut through his own with a stiff edge. "I don't want to hear another word from you about that. Prophesies can be deceiving. They never mean what they say outright so stop acting like it's written in stone, because it's _not_."

"But-"

"No." Fingers pressed harder into his shoulder. "No 'but's Leo. You can't base your actions on what some stupid riddle says." Jake took a deep breath, relaxing his grip but keeping his hands where they were. It was grounding, in a way, and Leo was grateful for the gentle weight.

"Leo, you're ready for this. You're a capable demigod with a good head on your shoulders. You'd never do anything to put your friends in danger, and I've seen firsthand how hard you'll fight to protect them: even if it means facing down a Daughter of Ares who's twice your size."

Leo felt his cheeks heat but Jake wasn't finished. "You broke the curse of Cabin Nine, tamed a rampaging dragon on your third day in camp, and a great cabin leader to boot- even if you annoy the ever living daylights out of Nyssa sometimes." Not that Jake sounded all that reprimanding about the last bit. "You're one hell of a mechanic- solved problems Nys and I were stuck on for hours with a single glance, devised a whole new engine when the original design failed, and made a fire protection system with salt and clay that Hephaestus himself wouldn't have been able to dream up."

At this point, Leo's whole face was redder than Festus' polycarbonate eyes. He looked up at the former cabin leader through his bangs, finding the next breath easier to take. "I… guess I am pretty awesome, aren't I?"

It came out as more of a question than he'd intended. But Jake smiled earnestly, letting go of his shoulders to ruffle a hand through Leo's hair.

"Absolutely irreplaceable."

* * *

Leo woke to the sound of a camera lens shutter opening and closing. Rubbing at bleary eyes, Leo frowned in the low light of the engine room. The last thing he remembered was Jake convincing him to get some sleep, after their talk: but it looked like he hadn't left the ship, so then... A second shutter click had him tuning his head and blinking when he saw Nyssa standing a little ways away, lowering the source of the noise with a wicked grin.

"Nys? What're you-"

"Shh…" The older girl brought a finger to her lips, winking slyly and gesturing to something on the floor.

Peering over the edge of the cot- which had been surprisingly comfortable to sleep on- Leo saw Jake snoring away on the floor. His head was pillowed on top of a pile of pigmat, and cradled in his arms like a soft fuzzy teddy bear was a small open toolbox, the contents of which had spilled out at some point and lay scattered around the sleeping demigod. A small puddle of drool was pooling on the ground beside him and one section of his hair was sticking up in a amusing angle.

Nyssa snapped another photo, a gleam in her eyes. "Vengeance."

* * *

 _ **Fin! Thanks for reading :)**_

 _ **So, going forward I will do my best to post once every three weeks at the latest- the chapters should be a bit easier to write since I have the original source material now, and they should also be longer since I'll be putting my own spin on events that happened in the books (rest assured, I won't change the base premise or actions, just give some more insight and maybe some more interactions between characters when they're "offscreeen" during the book chapters).**_

 _ **I look forwards to writing more as the summer progresses, and I'll also be working on a small follow up to When Worlds Collide (emphasis on small, it's not another major story... yet, but a full scale follow up adventure is still a possibility).**_

 _ **Final things:**_

 _ **First, to gachawolf11: Thanks for the good luck charms! It paid off as I was able to stop and grab my copy :D I hope you enjoyed the chapter despite the wait. Thanks for reviewing!**_

 _ **Lastly, to JackReaper28: I'm glad the preview got your interest! I hope the full chapter was just as engaging :)**_

 _ **As always, please drop me a quick (or not so quick) comment down below. Let me know what you thought or what you expect to see (I don't do requests but sometimes the creative spark can dwindle).**_

 _ **That's all for now folks; stay safe, stay healthy, and- most importantly- stay sane!**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **-Ardoa88**_


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